Israel Adesanya isn’t counting out Jose Aldo ahead of his unexpected return to MMA.
With one fight left to go on his current contract, the former UFC Featherweight Champion will battle it out with #12 contender Jonathan Martinez in the UFC 301 co-main event. Aldo competes in his backyard of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the first time in five years.
Not too long ago, Aldo retired from MMA after a decision loss to #1 contender Merab Dvalishvili in 2022. Following a much-needed breather from an active UFC schedule and a couple of wins in boxing, Aldo is ready for another go in the stacked bantamweight division.
Adesanya: Aldo “Still Got The Fire In Him”
At 37 years old, there is some doubt cast on this form of Aldo, what he’s fighting for, and whether or not he can keep up with the sport’s rising prospects. But, as former champ Adesanya has said before, “Y’all must’ve forgot…”
“I love it. King Rio’s back,” Adesanya said of Aldo on his YouTube channel. “Jose is always game, legend in the game, ran the game for years. Ridiculous. People forget, you know, but he was that guy. And he has had some tough, back-and-forth in the win and loss columns. But, yeah, I think the rest is good. Rest is good. Rest is really good, I can attest to that. He still got the fire in him, still in shape, I’m sure, still been training. And now he’s taking on a hungry young guy like Martinez.”
The 30 year-old Jonathan Martinez is a tall task for just about anybody as he rides a six-fight win streak with two TKO’s stemming from his devastating leg kicks. Aldo is seven years his elder and we’ll how much the edge in experience plays a factor against the youthful contender.
Will We See The Jose Aldo Of Old At UFC 301?
While Aldo’s best days are most likely behind him, Israel Adesanya says “Scarface” can still manage to turn back the clock to win in perhaps his final chapter of his career at bantamweight.
“People love Jose, so they wanna see him win. I wanna see him win. Come back from retirement, return [to] bantamweight in Rio. Bro, you might see a f****** vintage fight here,” Adesanya added. “Like a vintage Jose fight. Imma go Jose. I also like him at bantamweight as well. I think he doesn’t look like he’s extra drained or dehydrated. He still got a push a bantamweight, like he can still go.”
Jose Aldo might have gone 3-3 in his first run at 135lbs but the longtime featherweight did impress in outings against Rob Font, Marlon Vera and Pedro Munhoz— even in his losses to Marlon Moraes and Petr Yan, Aldo showed his championship potential.
We’ll see if Israel Adesanya is correct in his prediction at UFC 301.
