The King Of Rio
Jose Aldo returns to motion this weekend at UFC 307 as he takes on surging prospect Mario Bautista in Salt Lake Metropolis, UT. Aldo beat one other up-and-comer within the 135-lb. division, Jonathan Martinez, by unanimous determination at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, and this battle on the Delta Middle shall be his second since coming again into the UFC fold earlier this yr.
Morning guys
pic.twitter.com/aNP4OUpAyP
— Jose Aldo Junior (@josealdojunior) October 3, 2024
After a defeat to Merab Dvalishvili simply over two years in the past, it was rumored that Aldo was retiring with one battle left on his UFC contract. Then got here the announcement that the previous 145-lb. champion was taking a break from MMA to attempt his hand within the murky world {of professional} boxing. He put in a formidable stint contained in the squared circle, choosing up two victories in his native Brazil and preventing to a draw with Jeremy Stephens on the undercard of the Anthony Pettis–Roy Jones Jr. card in April of final yr.
His victory in his hometown over Martinez in April was the ultimate bout on his UFC contract and it was rumored that Aldo was set to check out free company, however the former WEC champion carried out a stunning U-turn and signed a brand new cope with the UFC.
Constructed Totally different
Following his catastrophic 13-second knockout defeat in opposition to Conor McGregor in 2015, many followers assumed that Aldo’s time on the high was carried out. A brand new lion sat on the peak of the 145-lb. mountain and Aldo was anticipated to fall out of title rivalry, given the conclusive nature of his defeat.
He rebounded, nevertheless, and labored his method again to title photographs in opposition to each Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski over the next 4 years. He by no means regained his belt, however in repeatedly dragging himself up by his bootstraps after shedding high-profile title fights, Aldo proved himself to be probably the most resilient, sturdy fighters in UFC historical past.
The Swap To Bantamweight
His transition all the way down to 135 lbs. following the loss to Volkanovski started with a stutter, as he suffered defeats by the hands of Marlon Moraes and Petr Yan. However simply when all appeared misplaced and we as soon as once more started to assume he was lastly on the best way out, Aldo rallied and went on one other profitable streak.
Spectacular victories over Marlon Vera, Pedro Munhoz and Rob Font shot Aldo again up the 135-lb. rankings and there was even discuss that he is likely to be in line to problem Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight belt. The loss to Dvalishvili stopped that momentum useless in its tracks however that defeat has aged nicely, particularly contemplating the truth that Aldo stopped all 16 of the Georgian’s takedown makes an attempt, one thing that none of his different opponents over the previous few years have come near doing.
What Are The UFC’s Plans For Jose Aldo?
It’s obscure why the UFC re-signed Aldo. Presumably his providers don’t come low cost, and paying a famous person in the course of the twilight years of his profession to battle down the rankings is definitely a curious transfer. Are the UFC lining Aldo’s pockets and holding him busy simply to forestall him from offering any worth to a rival promotion?
The matchups with Martinez and Bautista would point out that the UFC are trying to construct considered one of their up-and-coming bantamweights off the again of the previous champion. Hoping the Brazilian will all of a sudden attain that time (which older fighters inevitably do) the place he begins to look each considered one of his 38 years, and that Bautista can develop into the person who toppled the “King of Rio”. Certainly, this battle was initially set to be on the preliminary card at UFC 307, which appears loopy contemplating the distinctive profession Aldo has had and the way unbelievable he regarded in his final outing.
As the joy builds for UFC 307, all eyes shall be on Jose Aldo as he goals to reaffirm his legacy within the Octagon this Saturday, proving as soon as once more why he stays one of many sport’s most revered champions.
