While most professional fighters dont make Patrick Mahomes money, you can still build up a nice fortune in the octagon. Jose Aldo is proof of that reality; thanks in large to his UFC success, the Brazilian bantamweight is worth an estimated $9 million. He wasnt always incredibly wealthy, though.

While mixed martial arts have made Aldo rich, he almost stopped fighting because of one harsh reality: he was looking to save a few bucks.

These days, Jose Aldo is one of the top MMA fighters to ever step into the octagon. His success, however, isnt a recent phenomenon.

Aldo turned pro at age 17 and made a name for himself on the Brazilian MMA scene. He made his World Extreme Cagefighting debut in 2008; within a year, he claimed the featherweight title. After the UFC and WEC merged, he retained the belt and defended it seven times.

In December 2015, however, everything changed. Aldo faced Conor McGregor and was knocked out in 13 seconds; while he managed to reclaim the belt with a win over Frankie Edgar, the Brazilian hasnt been able to reclaim his lost form.

After defeating Edgar by unanimous decision in July 2016, Aldo lost two consecutive fights to Max Holloway. The Brazilian won his next two bouts before suffering another defeat at the hands of Alexander Volkanovski. A new weight class didnt change Aldos fortunes, either, as he dropped his bantamweight debut to Marlon Moraes.

While Jose Aldo has become rich and famous thanks to mixed martial arts, they werent his first love. The Brazilian initially dreamed of being a soccer star.

During his youth, however, Aldo found a new sport. AsGuilherme Cruz explained for MMAFighting.com, capoeira training proved to be a natural fit for the boys talents. There was one problem, though: classes cost money, and Aldos father wasnt making much as a bricklayer.

Aldo had to leave capoeira because he had to pay a 10 reais [about $1.85] fee, Marcio Pontes, a local jiu-jitsu teacher explained. Thats really cheap, but he didnt have that money at the time. He stopped playing capoeira and saw this opportunity to train jiu-jitsu, but he had no money to buy a gi either.

Pontes gave Aldo and his cousin, Andre Luiz, two spare gis, and they began training. Before long, Jose started winning tournaments. Those victories would pave the way for his future career.

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Growing up in Brazil, $2 was enough to force Jose Aldo to leave capoeira training behind. These days, however, money isnt a concern.

According to CelebrityNetWorth, the Brazilian has an estimated fortune of $9 million. While that number may pale in comparison to some of the sports biggest namesConor McGregor, for example, is worth an estimated $120 millionthats nothing to sneeze at, especially given Aldos past.

If today I am who I am and I fight the way I fight, Its thanks to all the adversities I encountered in life, Aldo explained, according to Elias CepedaofYahooSports. The way I lived my life is what made me strong. Thats what makes me a rounded person, with a good mind-set, able to go in there and win.

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Jose Aldo Is Worth $9 Million Today but Almost Quit Fighting to Save $2 - Sportscasting