Ex-Featherweight Champ Jose Aldo Headlines 2023 UFC Hall of Fame Class

The King of Rio's road to the #UFCHOF 🇧🇷👑

[ @JoseAldoJunior | Presented by @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/WiyNDLIe8Z

— UFC (@ufc) January 22, 2023

Jose Aldo is headed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Fame.

The promotion announced on Saturday that Aldo will be enshrined during a ceremony on International Fight Week this coming July in Las Vegas. Aldo be inducted into the “Modern Wing.”

A two-time UFC featherweight champion and a long-reigning WEC featherweight kingpin, Aldo is regarded by many as the top 145-pound fighter in MMA history. Aldo from MMA in September following a loss to Merab Dvalishvili in a bantamweight bout at UFC 278. The Nova Uniao standout will continue his combat sports career in the boxing ring, with his debut expected to come in February.

The promotion reportedly tried to convince Aldo to compete the final fight on his contract at UFC 283, but the Brazilian elected to call it a career and was granted his release. An emotional Aldo was in attendance at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro when his induction was announced during the UFC 283 broadcast.

“Jose Aldo is the greatest featherweight of all time,” UFC president Dana White said. “From WEC to UFC, Jose helped us build the sport of MMA and UFC as a brand, as well as change the perception of the smaller weight classes and what they could accomplish inside the Octagon. It will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

Aldo compiled a 31-8 record during a professional tenure that began in 2004, earning victories over the likes of Urijah Faber, Mike Thomas Brown, Cub Swanson, Frankie Edgar, Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes, Chan Sung Jung, Jeremy Stephens, Marlon Vera and Rob Font, among others. He set a number of records during his career, including most UFC/WEC featherweight wins (18), most UFC/WEC featherweight title fight wins (11) and most UFC/WEC featherweight knockouts (11).

Watch @JoseAldoJunior react to being the first member of the 2023 #UFCHOF class 🏆

[ Presented by @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/gMQeRIiLIQ

— UFC (@ufc) January 22, 2023