Jose Aldo will end his nearly two-year retirement and return to action at UFC 301, taking on Jonathan Martinez in a bantamweight bout added to the next card on May 4 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I will do it.
A source familiar with the promotion's plans confirmed the news on Saturday, following an initial report from MMA Fighting. AG fightAnd Aldo himself confirmed the match via his Instagram account.
It's a surprising turn of events for Aldo, who said his entire career began with a loss to Merab Dvalishvili in 2022 that ended his hopes of winning another title at 135 pounds. After this fight, Aldo, who will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023, moved on to a boxing career, competing twice in the past year, including a fight with fellow UFC veteran Jeremy Stevens.
It is unclear why Aldo decided to return to MMA, but he is currently scheduled to return to fight in May.
The UFC's anti-doping program requires Aldo to undergo six months of drug testing before competing again, but it appears that that deadline will be waived to allow him to fight at UFC 301. . Aldo has not yet taken a drug test, according to available online records. From 2022, testing will be carried out under the anti-doping program.
As for Martinez, the 29-year-old fighter is currently on a career-best run with six straight wins in the UFC and dominant performances against Adrian Yanez, Said Nurmagomedov and Cub Swanson in recent bouts. ing. Martinez has been steadily rising through the bantamweight ranks and will be a significant obstacle for Aldo, who will face him for the first time since September 2022.
UFC 301 concludes on May 4th, and flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja will also be on the card defending his title against Steve Arceg.
