Co-Founder · The King of Rio
José Aldo
UFC Hall of Fame · Nova União black belt · Lake Mary, FL
The King of Rio
José Aldo
First and longest-reigning UFC Featherweight Champion. He came up from Manaus with nothing but capoeira and conviction, ruled a division for years, and walked into the UFC Hall of Fame. Now he's building the next chapter — on the mat at Brabus.
The Record
Greatness, by the numbers.
Every figure here is part of the public record. No embellishment needed.
7Consecutive title defenses
18Fight win streak
2023UFC Hall of Fame
1st& longest-reigning UFC FW champ
Also: Nova União black belt · two-time UFC featherweight champion · career record ~31–8 · gold at the 2003 Brazilian Nationals as a teenager.
The Story
From Manaus to the throne.
He was born in Manaus, deep in the Brazilian Amazon, into humble beginnings. His first martial art wasn't jiu-jitsu — it was capoeira, the dancing-fighting rhythm of the streets. That movement, that timing, never left him.
In Rio, he found Nova União and André Pederneiras. He earned a jiu-jitsu black belt and a reputation as a decorated grappler — gold at the 2003 Brazilian Nationals while still a teenager — before he ever became a striker the world feared.
The reign.
In the WEC and then the UFC, Aldo became the first-ever UFC Featherweight Champion — and then the longest-reigning one in the division's history. He defended that belt seven straight times, a record that still stands, and built an 18-fight win streak that defined an era.
The highlight reel speaks for itself: the leg-kick clinic against Urijah Faber, and an 8-second flying-knee knockout of Cub Swanson at WEC 41 — one of the fastest, most violent finishes the sport has ever seen. He walked out to Jay-Z and Rihanna's "Run This Town," and for years, he did.
Hall of Fame.
In 2023, the UFC inducted José Aldo into its Hall of Fame, Class of 2023, Modern Wing — cementing him as one of the greatest fighters the sport has produced. He returned for one final run and retired after UFC 315 in 2025, closing the cage door on his own terms.
Why he built Brabus.
A champion's career ends; a champion's standards don't. Aldo carried the discipline of Nova União to Lake Mary, Florida, and put his UFC belt on the wall of an academy where anyone — beginner or competitor — can train under that standard. The next chapter isn't about him winning. It's about you starting.
The Belt Wall
Legend. Warrior. Inspiration.
His UFC championship belt sits in a lit case at the heart of the academy, beneath the plaque that names him. You don't just hear the story here — you train in front of it.
Forged by Legends
Start your free trial
Why this matters to you
His standard is now your starting line.
You will probably never fight for a UFC title. That's not the point. The point is the standard the room was built to — and you get to train inside it from day one.
01
Detail wins.
Aldo's career was built on precision, not luck. That same obsession with detail is how technique is taught on the Brabus mat — slow, exact, and pressure-tested.
02
Everyone starts somewhere.
A kid from Manaus with no money became the king of a division. You walking in for your first class is the same first step — and you're welcome here exactly as you are.
03
Discipline, then results.
The belt on the wall is the product of thousands of unglamorous repetitions. Show up, repeat, improve. That's the only formula, and it works for anyone.
Day-to-day training at Brabus is led by head coach and senior black belt Léo Santos. José Aldo joins the academy for special days, seminars, and select programs — keep an eye on our Instagram for appearances.
Your first class is on us
Train where the King built his academy.
No experience required. No commitment. Just step on the mat.
Start Free Trial