Why is Jose Aldo coming back? A look into the 'King of Rio's' UFC comeback
Jose Aldo and the ever-evolving story of his UFC comeback has excited mixed martial arts fans the world over. But the question of why is Jose Aldo coming back still hangs in the air for some.
A lot of the momentum really began in May of this year when the King of Rio returned to the UFC in the city he is said to helm over. Aldo competed at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the pay-per-view co-main event after previously announcing he was retiring from MMA.
The decorated former WEC and UFC featherweight champion had gone on a three fight stint into the world of boxing going 2-0-1 through that stretch. This move into the sweet science took place after a unanimous decision loss to current bantamweight titleholder Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278.
Despite returning to the UFC, Aldo did seem non-committal about his combat sports future. The Jonathan Martinez matchup at UFC Rio was the final fight of that contract and it seemed like Jose Aldo was keeping himself open in free agency to either navigate a new contractual agreement or pursue opportunities in the world of boxing.
The 38-year-old would defeat Martinez by way of a unanimous decision to the delight of the partisan crowd. Aldo clearly signed a new deal with the UFC as evidenced by the fact he will step into their cage again in the coming days.
Check out Jose Aldo addressing the excited crowd after his last win below:
Jose Aldo and his next contest inside the octagon
Jose Aldo will again compete on a pay-per-view main card in the year 2024 against another ranked bantamweight contender. Aldo has maneuvered himself to the No.10 spot at bantamweight after besting the No.13-ranked Martinez at UFC 301 and now prepares to take on the No.11-ranked 135 pounder in the promotion today.
That combatant in question is Mario Bautista and their contest transpires at UFC 307 on Oct. 5. The veteran previously fought for the UFC bantamweight belt against Petr Yan at UFC 251 and before losing to the current champion Dvalishvili, Aldo was putting together an impressive win streak.
Jose Aldo secured unanimous decision victories against Marlon 'Chito' Vera, Pedro Munhoz, and Rob Font in comprehensive fashion.
The Amazonas native could go on another run towards a subsequent crack at the 135-pound crown if he gets his desired outcome this Saturday. Acquiring a belt in a separate weight category would put Aldo into that rarefied air of two division UFC champions and could further galvanize one of the greatest legacies in the sport's history that much more.