At UFC 283 this past Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, there was plenty for MMA fans to get excited about.
For starters, the card was the promotion’s return to Brazil for the first time since March 2020, right before the pandemic officially kicked into full steam – and that event was held without fans. Then there were the performances – 10 finishes in 15 fights and two new champions were crowned.
But in the middle of it all, the UFC paid tribute to the fighter who was known as “The King of Rio,” former featherweight champion Jose Aldo. The Brazilian, who retired from MMA this past fall, was in attendance and taken by surprise when a video package was played to announce him as the next member of the UFC Hall of Fame.
Aldo ended his career with a 13-7 record in the UFC. He was a two-time champ at 145 pounds, as well as an interim champ and the final featherweight titleholder in WEC history. Because of that, he also was the first featherweight champ in UFC history after the two promotions merged in 2011.
If you missed the broadcast, check out the video above – or just watch it again – to see the UFC’s tribute to Aldo, which features plenty of notable names heaping praise.
