Feb-23-2009

Aldo: “I'm the number one pound-for-pound fighter”

By Frank Curreri

No, you’re not imagining things. Jose “Junior” Aldo is back again. The 22-year-old phenom is Texas-bound for his fourth WEC fight in the past eight months. The Brazilian is set to lock horns with an extremely powerful and aggressive Iraqi war veteran named Chris Mickle (31-11-2), who doesn’t seem to care that the 13-1 Aldo has been manhandling opponents and skyrocketing up the featherweight contender ladder in the process.

In this interview, Aldo discusses his upcoming test in the cage, why he might be toning down his victory dances and celebrations in the future, why he would consider dropping to 135 pounds to fight and whether he views himself as one of the 10 best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. You do not want to miss this compelling conversation, which was translated from Portuguese to English by John Tabor.

WEC: First of all, Jose, congratulations on your most recent victory over Rolando Perez -- very impressive. You ran out of the cage and into the stands immediately after winning. In the past you have backflipped off the cage after winning. Do you think soccer (futbol in Brazil) has influenced your celebrations? I say that because in futbol (just as in American football with a touchdown), whenever a goal is scored, players have all kinds of cool celebrations. Also, what kind of feedback/reaction did your friends (Thales Leites, Andre Pederneiras, etc.) and other fighters offer you about your most recent impromptu celebration, running into the stands after beating Perez?
Aldo: Thank you, Frank, I appreciate the congratulations. As for the celebrations, I do believe soccer influences the way I celebrate. Since my first dream was to be a soccer player, I guess that carries through to this day; maybe it's a way for me to live out that first dream. Managing to knock someone out is the same feeling as scoring a goal. You see everyone excited, jumping and shouting and you pick up on the moment. The problem was that my cornermen didn't get in the mood of the celebrations -- they were furious. Whenever the subject comes up they curse me.

WEC: Tell me about the thrill of knocking out an opponent? Describe that feeling. What goes through your mind?
Aldo: The thrill of knocking out an opponent is one of the best things in the world, your work is done.

WEC: You're fighting yet again on March 1. That will be four fights in 8 months, which is a very busy pace for a WEC fighter. Are there any drawbacks or negatives to fighting so frequently? Does it interfere with your ability to peak for fights? Ideally, how many times a year would you like to fight and why?
Aldo: Of course there could be a drawback to fighting so frequently, but in my case there has not been so far. As I left my last three fights without serious injury, there has been nothing to hinder me. It actually helps me peak, as I'm always at or near fighting shape. Of course I have to bring the pace up or down depending on how I feel and the proximity to the fight. I guess ideally I would fight four or five times a year, depending on my condition leaving my fights.

WEC: Rank the best fighters in the world at 145 pounds, including yourself.
Aldo: At this point I won't put myself as number one because I have no title, and I haven't fought any of the people I put at the top of my list, even though I believe I can beat all of them once I get that opportunity to fight the top guys and hold the title. As for my ranking, I'll put Mike Thomas Brown at the top, Leonard Garcia at number two, Urijah Faber at three, Wagnney Fabiano at four, and my teammate, King of Pancrase Marlon Sandro, at five.

WEC: Now let's alter the question just a little bit. Do you believe you're one of the best fighters in the world pound-for-pound?
Aldo: I do believe I'm one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. I'm the number one pound-for-pound fighter just above Georges St. Pierre. I consider myself so because the way I see it is that I have the three prerequisites: I'm great standing, with my takedowns, and on the ground, with Jiu-Jitsu.

WEC: You've been annihilating and destroying opponents in spectacular fashion. What is the secret to your success?
Aldo: My secret to my success so far is putting in hard work in training, believing and having the great team and great coach that I have.

WEC: What is the best advice that your coach, Andre Pederneiras, has ever given to you as a fighter? What is the best advice he has ever give you for life?
Aldo: I guess the best advice Dede (Andre Pederneiras) gave me was just telling me to train hard, put in the effort and the day will come when I'll be the best in the world. I guess that goes for life advice too, since the effort you put in is fundamental in achieving your goals, hard work pays off. More than advice, though, Dede is an invaluable asset to me for the support he provides me in life every day, the confidence he gives me.

WEC: Have you signed a new deal/extension with the WEC? If so, how many more fights are you under contract for?
Aldo: My upcoming fight will be the first of five fights in my five-fight contract extension.

WEC: I heard a rumor that you are considering dropping to the 135-pound weight class? Is that true? Are you definitely going to drop to 135 pounds? If so, do you think this fight against Chris Mickle will be your last at 145 pounds?
Aldo: We did think of my dropping to 135 pounds, but I'd only do that were it to fight for the title. I'm definitively in the 145 weight class and my objective is to win the title.

WEC: If you are dropping to 135 pounds, then why? You have been so dominant at 145 pounds, after all, and it seems that you believe you could beat anyone at the weight class. Wagnney Fabiano, another elite fighter, is one of your training partners. Are you dropping because you guys are friends and do not want to fight each other, or are there other reasons?
Aldo: Wagnney is my buddy but avoiding facing him was not the reason we considered my dropping in weight. The reason for there being talk of my dropping categories is that Miguel Torres has been so dominant in the 135-pound weight class and we have a bit of a past. I think he's a great fighter and would love to fight him. But there is also the story of how we were supposed to face each other years ago in Brazil, when his master, my master's master, Carlson issued a challenge to any bantamweight fighter in Brazil, saying Miguel was the best. My master, Andre, accepted and offered me as an opponent, but it never ended up happening.

WEC: What weight do you normally walk around at when you're in shape? Do you have to cut weight and starve yourself on fight days to make weight or is it an "easy cut"?
Aldo: When I don't have a fight lined up and am just waiting I'll get up to 162 pounds. When I'm active and know I'll be fighting, I generally stay at around 158 pounds or so. Making weight is horrible. I hate having to diet, limit what I eat. I like to eat well.

WEC: Have you ever fought at 135 pounds? Do you think it will be difficult for you to lose the weight and might it compromise your cardiovascular endurance, strength and performance?
Aldo: I used to only fight at 135 pounds. All the first Shootos I fought at were as a bantamweight.

WEC: Forgive my forwardness, but the scar on the left side of your face, how did you acquire it?
Aldo: I don't mind explaining where I got the scar. I was just a baby and my mom wasn't paying attention for a moment when my sisters rolled me onto the barbecue pit being used for a 1986 World Cup party.

WEC: Your opponent on March 1 is a guy named Chris Mickle. He's an American who has over 40 fights on his record and a whole bunch of other unsanctioned fights under his belt. Have you been able to see any video on him? What do you know about Chris Mickle and his fighting style? Is it important to you to know as much as possible about him?
Aldo: I have seen a highlight video of him; he's obviously a great fighter with a lot of experience. I haven't managed to find much footage on him, but he seems to be really aggressive and is well-rounded, fighting both on the ground, with lots of submissions, and is good standing, with some knockouts. It is certainly important to know as much about my opponents as possible but that is best left to Dede to find out. Dede comes up with the strategies, I just execute them.

WEC: Even though you destroyed Rolando Perez last fight, did you uncover any flaws in your performance that you are trying to fix?
Aldo: I'm always looking to improve but, if I find a weakness in my performance, I'll keep it a secret. I'm always trying to improve though.