Jose Aldo's support for Jair Bolsonaro shows he has forgotten his roots, says Brazilian PFL fighter Larissa Pacheco
Professional Fighters League (PFL) women's lightweight champion Larissa Pacheco recently criticized Jose Aldo for housing disgraced former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro fled to the United States in December last year just days before his term was set to end. According to reports, the 67-year-old was due to be arrested in a police probe before he fled the country. The former Brazilian president has since been staying at one of Jose Aldo's homes in Orlando, Florida.
Having fled Brazil on the advice of his lawyers, soon to be ex-president Jair Bolsonaro is seeing in the new year at the Orlando home of former UFC fighter José Aldo.
One of Aldo's bedrooms is "minion" themed. https://t.co/AggGYqz3RS
Bolsonaro is a controversial and polarizing figure in Brazil, often criticized for his extreme right-wing views. During his tenure as president, Jair Bolsonaro was outspoken in his views towards the LGBTQIA+ community on a number of occasions, including infamously stating he would "fight" two men in the street if he saw them kissing.
In an interview with Bloody Elbow, Pacheco, who is openly gay, pleaded for Aldo to stop supporting a man who has been outspoken against her and many others' rights. The women's lightweight champ believes 'Junior' has forgotten his roots:
“It seems to me that they have forgotten where they came from... Jose Aldo, for instance, he has such an awesome life story. Then he gets to the top and he starts to sound like he’s always been a part of the elite... I’m not saying that’s how he thinks, but it’s how I see it. I’ll never be able to look at those fighters [who support Bolsonaro] and say I’m one of them. How could I forget everything I’ve been through? My struggles. I can’t do that."
UFC Brazilian fighter Virna Jandiroba takes strong stance against Jair Bolsonaro and Jose Aldo
UFC strawweight Virna Jandiroba has also been outspoken towards Jair Bolsonaro and Jose Aldo, stating that the former president "offends" her.
Jandiroba made headlines in 2021 after she defeated Kanako Murata via TKO. Her post-fight speech later went viral as she used it as an opportunity to call out Bolsonaro for his failure to handle the COVID-19 pandemic as well as his controversial right-wing views.
Due to a doctor's stoppage at the end of the second round, Virna Jandiroba picks up the TKO win 🇧🇷
#UFCVegas29 https://t.co/yHjsp7Fr2V
In her interview with Bloody Elbow last month, Virna Jandiroba had yet more stern words for Jair Bolsonaro as well as former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo:
“Bolsonaro offends me and my people on several levels. It’s impossible for me to like him. I try not to criticize fighters individually, though. I believe it has a lot to do with being ignorant. I also think it flirts with the military concept. Martial arts were born from military tactics, so I think they flirt... People have been distorting the meaning of it along the way. Now they think people can sort things out by using force.”