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After three more WEC knockouts, he squared off with Cub Swanson in June 2009, ending the bout in eight seconds, no typo.
Five months later, he was the WEC featherweight champion, taking the belt from Mike Brown, and then came a punishing five-round victory over Faber in the biggest fight in WEC history. A final title defense over Manny Gamburyan followed before he was named the first featherweight champion in UFC history as the promotion brought in WEC fighters and launched the 145- and 135-pound divisions.
WATCH: Aldo’s Best Finishes
Aldo had arrived, and by the time he made it to New York City for the aformentioned press gathering, he had successfully defended his crown five times, beating Mark Hominick, Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar and Chan Sung Jung.
His skills were obviously elite, but it was his mindset that kept him on top.
“I keep dreaming like them,” he told me before the Lamas fight when asked how he fought like a hungry challenger instead of a secure (and perhaps complacent) champion night in and night out.