Jose Aldo might owe Dana White a thank you for the safe delivery of his newborn son.
Jose Aldo is starting a new chapter in his life. After 11 years with the UFC, the former featherweight champion has asked for a release. Aldo is widely considered to be one of the best featherweight fighters of all time. He ruled the 145-pound division in the WEC before signing on with the UFC and receiving the belt. He went on to defend it seven times against some of the best fighters to have ever fought in the Octagon. Now in 2022, Aldo felt that his time with the promotion was ready to be over and asked Dana White for a release, little did he know that this decision could have saved the life of his unborn baby.
Aldo explained how and why he asked the UFC for a release now. The timing might seem a bit strange since he had another fight on his contract and the UFC would be heading to his home country of Brazil next year, but Aldo says it was time for him to go. He told the story in an interview with MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca Podcast.
“A friend of mine was looking into some boxing things for me and said I needed to prepare a statement saying he could consult the UFC,” Aldo said via MMA Fighting. “I did that and texted Dana on Thursday, and Dana wrote me back thanking me for everything, saying the UFC was always open for me, the [Performance Institute], and everything I needed. He has great affection for me and my family, he was always very close to us.”
Jose Aldo explains how the text from Dana White led to his son being born
Dana White has been very respectful and grateful to Aldo since he announced his retirement from the sport. He spoke publically about how he is always welcome back if that is the path he chooses. It seems that Aldo is headed in a new direction and that he might want to compete in boxing or BJJ competitions. Having the freedom to leave the UFC and pursue other avenues is what he has to look forward to. The conversation was pleasant, but the aftermath of the conversation turned out to be a bit hectic.
“After that emotional message – it wasn’t a boss talking to his employee, it was two people that like each other – I showed it to [my wife] Vivianne,” he said. “She was still pregnant at the time and got emotional, her blood pressure went up and we had to go to the hospital. She [went back for some tests and] was admitted to the hospital on Friday. She had preeclampsia and [the blood pressure] went up after Dana’s message.”
Aldo explained that the reaction from his partner caused her blood pressure to rise and forced her into early labor. The causation was a condition called preeclampsia which can be very dangerous to pregnant women and their unborn children. It was very lucky that it was caught at this time due to the reaction to the texts and that both mom and baby were given the care they needed.
Aldo and his wife Vivianne Pereira Oliveira welcomed a baby boy into the world four weeks early on September 18, 2022. The couple named the baby Jose Aldo III.
