Legendary UFC champion Jose Aldo made his return to the octagon last night with a stunning win over Jonathan Martinez.
The ‘King of Rio’ returned home for his first MMA fight in almost two years at UFC 301, and rolled back the years with a phenomenal performance. Aldo entered as a slight underdog but wowed fans with a sleek performance that showed he may still be in contention at 135lb should he continue to fight.
However, with his deal ending after the win and a number of offers on the table, it is unclear what Aldo will end up doing next. One option emerged shortly after the win as top bantamweight contender Marlon Vera called for a rematch after the pair’s thrilling 2020 bout.
Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera calls out Jose Aldo for rematch after UFC return
After losing his effort at bantamweight gold to Sean O’Malley in the UFC 299 main event, Vera has been looking at his options for his return to action. And he may have found it in the legendary Aldo, who stopped his momentum in December of 2020.
Vera, at the time, was coming off the back of handing O’Malley his sole MMA loss, and appeared to be heading towards the top of the 135lb division. But he stepped up a level too far and was dominated by the Brazilian.
Now, he is keen to get that result back, taking to Twitter to challenge his former foe writing: “Let’s run it back Aldo?”
Jose Aldo returns to the UFC with stunning win over Jonathan Martinez
MMA’s biggest show rolled back into Rio De Janeiro, Brazil last night for UFC 301, with the main event pitting Alexandre Pantoja against Steve Erceg. In the co-main event, Aldo returned two years after announcing his retirement to face Martinez.
The American was riding an impressive six-fight winning streak and entered as favourite. But he faced a masterful Aldo who showed shades of his best as he returned with a high level showing that earned him a decision win.
Many expected that Aldo was just fighting in order to earn his spot as a free agent, which could see him get some big money boxing matches. But it now appears that he will re-sign with UFC and continue his iconic MMA career.
Jose Aldo teases new UFC contract after comeback win
Aldo may now be in a position to negotiate for spots on major cards such as Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson or the PFL. But it seems that he might now be heading towards a new deal with the UFC that would likely see him end his career for good with the promotion.
“I have to thank Jonathan (Martinez) for this opportunity,” Aldo said after the fight. “And now my next step is sitting with Dana (White), Sean (Shelby), and Hunter (Campbell) and we’ll see how it goes.
“I said that this wasn’t going to be my last fight, I think I’m in the physique I still have the age that I can still fight, you can still that I can still go forward, so maybe we can come back in here and become the champion.”