"I don't know why" - Jose Aldo's return confuses ex-UFC middleweight champion
Jose Aldo is set to return to the hallowed octagon less than two years since he announced his retirement after losing to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278.
The former featherweight champion competed in several boxing matches since he stepped away from MMA but did not indicate that he would be looking to make another appearance in the UFC.
Last week, the UFC 301 pay-per-view card was announced and will take place in Brazil. This was followed swiftly by news of Aldo's return on the card. The 37-year-old will face off against Jonathan Martinez, who is currently ranked at No.14 in the bantamweight division.
News of the Brazilian's return has been received with overwhelming joy by the MMA fanbase, but one man who was less eager about the return of 'Junior' was Robert Whittaker.
During a recent episode of the MMArcade Podcast, 'The Reaper' discussed the former champion's comeback from retirement and said this:
"I don't want to see him return... I feel like he's done enough in the game. I don't know why he's coming back. But I feel like he's done enough. I don't like the idea of taking some time off, retiring, turning off that part of your mind and then coming back to the game at 37 [years old]."
Watch Whittaker discuss Jose Aldo's return below from 15:15:
Conor McGregor ecstatic about Jose Aldo's return to the UFC
Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo share one of the sport's most legendary rivalries. The pair went to war for the featherweight title in 2015 in the main event of UFC 194, where the Irishman secured the belt in just thirteen seconds after knocking his opponent out cold.
'The Notorious' relentlessly attacked Aldo with verbal abuse, with the promotion taking the pair on a worldwide tour to promote the fight.
The build-up to their bout has produced some of the most memorable moments in the sport, but in the years since their clash, both men have spoken highly of one another, indicating that the pair respect each other greatly.
Following news of the Brazilian's return, set for UFC 301, McGregor shared his thoughts on the matter during his recent interview on The MMA Hour. He said this:
"Great to see Jose back, really happy to see Jose back. I was actually taken aback that he did retire when he did retire. He was in contention for the title, from where I was looking.."
Watch McGregor discuss Jose Aldo's return below: