Fighter Detail Jose Aldo  "Junior" Fighting Out Of: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Age: 23 Height: 5' 7" (170 cm) Weight: 145 lbs. (66 kg) Overall MMA Record (W-L-D): 16-1-0 Strengths: Very Strong ground game Languages Spoken: Portuguese

Jose Aldo Photo Gallery:

Jose Aldo WEC™ Fight History:

Fighter Biography

When and why did you start training for fighting? I started training because I would like to fight.

What ranks and titles have you held? Four-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion, World jiu-jitsu champion, Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Do you have any heroes? Mike Tyson

What is your favorite technique? Arm Lock

What does it mean for you to fight in the WEC? I want to fight for the belt

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? Yes, I finished college

What was your job before you started fighting? I played football

Most memorable professional fight? It is still my WEC debut against Alexandre Pequeno (Nogueira). It was special because it was my debut in the biggest event in the world, I was an unknown and Alexandre was a legend in the MMA world for having held a title for the longest time, and I won by TKO.

What was your most challenging professional fight? All my fights have been great challenges. One to standout would be the one I lost at Jungle Fight to Luciano Azevedo, in 2005, since it's the only one I've lost to this day and because I had to overcome many hurdles. I wasn't well when I went into the fight but I still faced the challenge.

Did you compete in any other sport(s) at college or professional level? I was a semi-professional soccer player when I was younger but left just as I was turning pro, as I had already been training fighting too and I seemed to be more inclined to fight sports. But I'm a good soccer player too. It's just that my soccer changed after I started training fighting. I also competed a lot in Jiu-Jitsu and submission grappling. I became world champion in Jiu-Jitsu as a brown belt. I even beat the current 3-time featherweight black belt world champion Rubens Charles "Cobrinha" in the semifinals that year. That was the last year I competed in Jiu-Jitsu, as my MMA career was picking up.

Who were your training partners for this fight? I train with the same guys as always, the whole team, my team, Nova Uniao.

Did you put more emphasis towards a fighting style or adjust your training to prepare for your opponent? I always train the way I train, a lot of boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai and submission grappling, with physical conditioning in there too. Of course I try to do a bit more work on my opponent's strength, but I haven't changed my formula for this fight.

What, other than WINNING, are you using for motivation for the fight? My personal desires. My dream, my goal is to own my own house. This dream motivates me more and more as I get closer to fulfilling it.