Jose Aldo
Active 2011–present · rated in 7 editions across 2 divisions · peak overall 92.0
Jump to:FeatherweightBantamweight
Jose Aldo at featherweight
Scouting report
Jose Aldo appears across UFC 3 (2012), EA 1 (2014), EA 2 (2016), and EA 3 (2018), with an 89–89 Overall range across the four editions. Born in Manaus, Brazil, "The King of Rio" defended the WEC and UFC Featherweight Championships nine combined times across a decade. The card reflects that run: 90 Kickboxing, 90–92 Fight IQ, 88 Cardio, and an 89 Overall in the earliest editions.
Peak ratings
By edition
Aldo defended his featherweight title against Mark Hominick, Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes via first-round knee knockout at UFC 142 in Rio, Frankie Edgar at UFC 156, and Chan Sung Jung at UFC 163. His low kicks, takedown defense, and combinations are reflected in a 96 Kickboxing and 86 Wrestling rating across this era.
In 2014, Aldo defended his title against Ricardo Lamas and won a five-round decision over Chad Mendes at UFC 179 in Rio de Janeiro, before suffering a 13-second knockout loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 194 in December 2015. His defensive wrestling, counter-boxing, and championship pace anchor his 86 Wrestling and 93 Fight IQ ratings.
Aldo rebounded at UFC 200 in July 2016, outpointing Frankie Edgar across five rounds to win the interim belt, before being promoted to undisputed champion and dropping consecutive stoppage defeats to Max Holloway at UFC 212 and UFC 218 in 2017. His technical boxing adjustments and counter-striking IQ are reflected in an 90 Boxing and 93 Fight IQ.
Aldo scored finishes in 2018 and early 2019, stopping Jeremy Stephens with punches at UFC on Fox 30 in Calgary and Renato Moicano in Fortaleza, before dropping a decision to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 237 in Rio. His power boxing and defensive fundamentals are captured in his 89 Boxing and 92 Kickboxing ratings.
Jose Aldo: a wall with a leg kick attached
Jose Aldo held the WEC and UFC featherweight titles for years, mostly by refusing to be taken down and punishing anyone who tried. He also helped make the calf and leg kick a normal part of MMA. A strong pick when your build needs to stay standing, though he has one obvious limit.
Aldo attribute by attribute
Boxing. Sharp and explosive, with one of the best pivots and check hooks in the sport. Anyone stepping in was punished quickly.
Kickboxing. The origin of the modern MMA leg kick. He chopped down Urijah Faber and many others with swings that ruined mobility.
Wrestling. The best takedown defence in the game's history. Heavy hips, underhooks and a fast pivot off the cage frustrated wrestlers such as Frankie Edgar.
BJJ. A high-level black belt who used it almost only to scramble back to his feet.
Strength. Explosive power. His fast-twitch strength lets him rip his hips out of shots and finish strikes with force.
Durability. A strong chin through his prime. Later knockout losses came after years of hard fights, and his shell was hard to hit clean.
Cardio. His known flaw. The explosive style spent his energy, and he slowed in rounds four and five.
Fight IQ. A counter-fighter. He read takedown entries and answered with knees, as Chad Mendes found out.
The trait to take: Defensive wrestling
It works as a hard wall. Your fighter will almost never be held down, and the fight stays a striking match on your terms.
The trait to skip: Cardio
He is known for fading in long fights. A build carrying this slot will hit a wall in the championship rounds against a high pace.
Jose Aldo at bantamweight
Scouting report
Aldo moved to bantamweight in December 2019, losing his divisional debut to Marlon Moraes by split decision at UFC 245 in Las Vegas. He went on to challenge Petr Yan for the vacant bantamweight title at UFC 251, losing by fifth-round doctor stoppage. Aldo's Fight IQ rating of 90 in the ufc4-2020 edition and 88 in ufc5-2023 reflects a veteran who remained competitive against the division's best despite arriving after a decade as featherweight champion.
Peak ratings
By edition
Following the loss to Petr Yan at UFC 251, Aldo put together a three-fight winning streak, outpointing Marlon Vera in Las Vegas in December 2020, Pedro Munhoz at UFC 265 in Houston in August 2021, and Rob Font in Las Vegas in December 2021. His boxing combinations, defensive head movement, and takedown defense are reflected in an 91 Boxing and 94 Fight IQ.
After a decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278 in 2022, Aldo stepped away from the UFC before returning at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro in May 2024, defeating Jonathan Martinez by unanimous decision. His veteran ring generalship, takedown defense, and defensive boxing sharpness anchor his 91 Boxing and 94 Fight IQ score.
Jose Aldo at 135: the late-career move down
After years as the featherweight king, Jose Aldo dropped to bantamweight in his later career. There he lost to Petr Yan by fifth-round stoppage in a 2020 title fight, a reminder that the division moves faster than the one he ruled. This card shows the smaller, older Aldo, a fighter who still thinks better than most of his opponents. He is a pick for drafters who value fundamentals over freshness. The ratings show a card that has lost a little at the edges but kept its core, and that core is still better than most of the division has.
Bantamweight ratings, in order
Boxing. Excellent at 91. Short combinations and crisp counters remain the base of his striking.
Kickboxing. A high 93. Leg kicks and knees are still a serious weapon.
Wrestling. Strong at 90. His takedown defence was famously hard to break.
BJJ. Good at 86. He is dangerous from top position and a hard man to hold down.
Strength. His lowest at 77. Larger bantamweights can push him around when the fight gets physical.
Durability. Very good. He continued to absorb shots well into the later years.
Cardio. Good at 86. Late rounds are workable, even when younger opponents are fresher.
Fight IQ. His best at 94. He reads opponents and adapts within a fight.
What lasts longest: Fight IQ
Fight IQ at 94 is the highest rating and it is what kept him at a high level as his physical tools changed. Against many bantamweights, he wins by knowing what is coming.
The number to protect: Strength
Strength is 77, the lowest rating. Physical bantamweights can wear on him in the clinch, so a draft around him benefits from backup in that department.
Keep exploring
Closest featherweight profiles to Jose Aldo, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Zabit Magomedsharipovbest kickboxing 90 · weakest strength 80
- Ilia Topuriabest boxing 96 · weakest strength 86
- Alexander Volkanovskibest fight iq 97 · weakest bjj 85
- Arnold Allenbest boxing 88 · weakest strength 80
- Featherweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Bantamweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Jose Aldo's strongest attribute, Kickboxing.
Draft Jose Aldo into your build
Jose Aldo enters the pool on any spin landing on featherweight or bantamweight between 2010 and present. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are our own, built from independent research and from how Jose Aldo is regarded by the MMA community, with earlier MMA video games used only as a starting baseline for the scale. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Jose Aldo's real-world abilities. See the disclaimer below. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read how we check our write-ups in our editorial standards.