Jose Aldo Coming Out of Retirement to Fight Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301

Jose Aldo is returning to the Octagon

The 37-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Fame member and longtime former UFC featherweight champion, will come out of retirement and fight Jonathan Martinez in a bantamweight fight at UFC 301 on May 4 in Aldo’s native Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Jose AldoAldo retired from the UFC after a loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278 in August 2022. He transitioned to boxing, fighting in the ring three times, including one exhibition. His most high-profile boxing match came against former UFC veteran Jeremy Stephens at Jorge Masvidal‘s Gamebred Boxing 4 in April 2023. Aldo and Stephens fought to a draw.

Despite his retirement, Aldo remained under contract with the UFC. Sources said he has one fight remaining on his deal.

Aldo (31-8) had won three straight and was closing in on a UFC bantamweight title shot before the loss to Dvalishvili. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last summer. Aldo has the most title defenses in UFC featherweight history (7); including his time in WEC, he has nine title defenses.

Martinez (19-4) has won six in a row. A Los Angeles native who trains out of Factory X in Colorado, he has two rare leg-kick TKOs in his past three fights. Martinez, 29, is 10-3 in the UFC since his debut in 2018.

News of Aldo’s return was first reported by Brazilian outlet AG Fight.

Anderson Silva Inducted into UFC Hall of Fame

Anderson Silva has been immortalized by UFC.

The 48-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and boxer has been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

Anderson SilvaBut he’s not the only legendary fighter in the Hall.

Jose Aldo, who also helped build the popularity of MMA in Brazil, was among the honorees celebrated this week at T-Mobile Arena

Silva and Aldo headlined a star-studded class that included fan favorite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, lighter weight MMA pioneer Jens Pulver and a classic, knockdown, drag-out fight between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald from 2015.

Silva, is on the short list of the best fighters ever. “The Spider” still holds the UFC record of 16 straight victories and has the second-most consecutive title defenses (10, behind Jon Jones and Demetrious Johnson at 11). Silva had the longest title reign in UFC history, holding the middleweight championship for 2,457 days. He did it all with flair, too. Silva, a flashy striker, has the most finishes (nine), knockouts (seven) and knockdowns (10) in UFC title fights.

Silva did not attend the ceremony Thursday because of “scheduling issues,” according to his son Kalyl, who accepted on his behalf. Silva posted an Instagram video in Portuguese thanking his team, family and fans.

“They’re both icons,” Kalyl told ESPN of Aldo and his father. “Jose Aldo, ‘The King of Rio,’ and Anderson Silva in the same class is just perfect. It couldn’t have been written any better.”

Aldo’s accolades are nearly as impressive. He is the most decorated featherweight fighter in MMA history. Aldo, 36, had a combined nine successful title defenses in the UFC and WEC, which was eventually purchased and absorbed into the UFC. He was the youngest champion in WEC history at 23 years old. He even moved down to bantamweight late in his career and had a solid run there, too, falling to Petr Yan in a vacant title fight in 2020.

“It’s very emotional, very hard to explain,” Aldo told ESPN’s C. Contreras Legaspi via an interpreter. “Ever since I wanted to come to the UFC, [I wanted to] be a champion, and I got so much more. So, this is a lot of dreams coming through at the same time.”

Cerrone has the most fights (48) and most wins (29) in Zuffa history (between UFC, WEC, Strikeforce and Pride). But he was most known for being an action fighter and taking fights when the UFC needed him.

“It’s just cool that I got recognized for answering the call every time they called,” Cerrone told ESPN. “And that was my job. When they said, ‘We got a guy,’ then I’m your man, let’s go. And I never turned down a fight, never backing down and just fighting until I couldn’t fight anymore. And that’s what I wanted. That was my legacy. I wanted [people to say], ‘Cowboy’ is fighting? Oh, we got to find a bar. We got to pull the car over. We got to figure it out.’ And I think I succeeded.”

Pulver, 48, was the first UFC lightweight champion, winning the belt in 2001 when the 155-pound division was called “bantamweight” and successfully defending it against the likes of BJ Penn. The UFC later abolished that weight class, and it didn’t resurface for five years. Pulver, who was undersized for even that weight class, would go on to have success in Japan before returning to the UFC and then WEC at 145 pounds.

“I battled, for a long time, with anxiety and depression,” Pulver said in a moving speech. “And I learned, never close the door on the person you’re going to be in five years. Because time is different. Those problems, those memories will change. If you’re busy growing your world, those problems will get a lot stronger. Never close the door and do something drastic. I love you, believe me. I love all of you. I love you very much.”

The contributions of lighter weight fighters like him early on helped create opportunities for others such as Conor McGregor, who would go on to become the biggest star in the history of the sport fighting at 145 and 155 pounds.

Also on Thursday, the Nogueira brothers, Antonio Rodrigo and Antonio Rogerio, were named the 2023 recipients of the Forrest Griffin Community Award, which recognizes contributions in volunteer and charity work. The brothers are legends of Brazilian MMA and mentors for Silva and others.

Jose Aldo to be Inducted Into UFC’s Hall of Fame

Jose Aldo is head to the Hall…

The 36-year-old Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist, the longest-reigning featherweight champion in UFC history, will be inducted into the promotion’s Hall of Fame later this year.

Jose AldoAldo retired from the UFC in September, one month after losing to Merab Dvalishvili in a highly ranked bantamweight fight. Had Aldo won that fight, he might have moved on to fight for a UFC title one more time.

Although he officially retired from MMA and was removed from the UFC’s rankings, Aldo has left the door open to competing in a boxing match.

Born in Manaus, Brazil, Aldo rose to 145-pound superiority in the WEC, where he won his first major championship by knocking out Mike Brown in 2009. He defended the title twice before the UFC brought the division into its fold and crowned Aldo its first-ever featherweight champ.

Aldo (31-8) won 18 consecutive fights from 2006 to 2014 and defended the UFC featherweight title a record seven times. His championship run came to a close in 2015, when he suffered a stunning 13-second knockout to rival Conor McGregor. He reclaimed the title seven months later by defeating Frankie Edgar, but lost it a second time in his next fight to Max Holloway.

Still widely considered the greatest featherweight of all time, Aldo dropped to the 135-pound bantamweight division in 2019 to try to win a second belt. He challenged Petr Yan for the vacant belt in 2020 but lost via fifth-round TKO.

Aldo joins the UFC Hall of Fame’s “modern wing” of fighters that includes Forrest GriffinBJ PennUrijah FaberRonda RouseyMichael BispingRashad EvansGeorges St-PierreKhabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier.

Dominick Cruz to Fight Marlon Vera in UFC Fight Night in August

Dominick Cruz is heading back to the Octagon this summer…

The 37-year-old Mexican American mixed martial artist, a former two-time UFC bantamweight champion, will face off against Marlon Vera for a UFC Fight Night headliner, according to UFC president Dana White.

Dominick Cruz The bout is scheduled for August 13, and White said the card is expected to take place in San Diego.

ESPN has Vera ranked No. 6 and Cruz ranked No. 10 in the world at bantamweight.

Cruz (24-3) is one of the best bantamweight fighters in MMA history. A San Diego resident, he’s a two-time former UFC bantamweight champion with a total of three title defenses across both reigns.

Cruz has the most bantamweight wins in UFC/WEC history (13). He has won two straight and 15 of 17 overall.

Vera (19-7-1), 29, has won three straight and nine of his past 11. The fighter from Ecuador, who lives and trains in Orange County, California, is coming off a unanimous decision win over Rob Font in April.

He has the most finishes in UFC bantamweight history (9).

Jose Aldo Defeats Rob Font Via Unanimous Decision to Keep Bantamweight Title Hopes Alive

Jose Aldo continues his quest for a title in a new division.

The 35-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, arguably the greatest featherweight of all time with a résumé good enough to put him on the short list of the best MMA fighters ever, defeated the up-and-coming Rob Font via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46) in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Jose Aldo,Aldo rocked Font several times with right hands, hurt his legs with hard kicks and damaged him with hooks to the body. He looked like the Aldo of old while also mixing in some new wrinkles as a bantamweight, such as superior grappling.

“I want to be a champion in this division, and I’m working toward that,” Aldo said through an interpreter in his post-fight interview. “Nobody is gonna stop me.”

Coming in, ESPN had Font ranked No. 5 and Aldo No. 6 in the world at 135 pounds. Aldo said afterward he’d like a title shot next, but the situation is a bit messy.

UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has been out since March following neck surgery and is likely to face Petr Yan, the former champion and current interim titleholder, to unify the titles. Yan lost the title to Sterling when he was disqualified for an illegal knee at UFC 259 on March 6.

In lieu of a chance at the title, Aldo had another proposition: former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw, who beat Cory Sandhagen over the summer in his return from a two-year doping suspension. Dillashaw is currently recovering from knee surgery.

“Dillashaw is right there,” Aldo said. “Let me fight Dillashaw.”

The fight Saturday was a story of volume versus power. Font had a lot of success with his boxing, especially early on and with his jab. But Aldo was mostly unfazed by the blows. Meanwhile, Aldo rocked or dropped Font in every round except for the third. Font had moments but never hurt Aldo the way Aldo hurt him.

Aldo nearly finished Font in the fourth and fifth rounds. The fifth was the closest. Font knew he was down on the cards and was coming forward looking for a stoppage victory. But Aldo lit him up with a right cross and dropped him. Aldo followed with shots on the ground, took Font’s back and nearly had a choke locked in. Font, though, survived until the bell.

Aldo’s two takedowns were the first ones of his five-fight bantamweight run in UFC, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

“I’m gonna be standing up, I’m gonna be going to the ground,” Aldo said. “I want to be all-around. This is the new Aldo you see.”

Aldo (31-7) held the UFC/WEC featherweight title for parts of six years (2009-15), including seven title defenses, a record in that division. The Brazil native moved down to bantamweight in 2019. He lost his first two fights there, including a vacant title bout against Yan. But Aldo has won three straight and looked very good in wins over contenders Pedro Munhoz and Marlon “Chito” Vera before Saturday.

This is Aldo’s first three-fight winning streak since his 18-fight winning streak was broken in 2015 by Conor McGregor. He cashed as a +125 underdog Saturday, marking just the seventh time he was an underdog in his UFC career.

Font (19-5) had a four-fight winning streak snapped. Most recently before Saturday, he took home a unanimous-decision win over former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt. The Massachusetts native had not lost since 2018. Font, 34, sports a 9-4 UFC record and looked better than ever since returning from knee surgery last year.

“The guy is a legend,” Font said of Aldo. “He’s tough, man. I feel like I can beat him, but it just wasn’t my night. Hats off to him. … I just went five rounds with one of the legends of the sport. I’m gonna get better off this, for sure.”

UFC’s Dominick Cruz to Fight Casey Kenney in March

Dominick Cruz is heading back to the Octagon

The 35-year-old Mexican American professional mixed martial artist and former UFC bantamweight champion (22-3) has agreed to fight up-and-comer Casey Kenney (16-2-1) at UFC 259 on March 6, according to ESPN.

Dominick Cruz

The fight will mark Cruz’s first non-title bout in more than six years. He last fought in May, when he lost to then-bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo via second-round TKO.

That was Cruz’s first fight in 3 1/2 years. His last victory came in June 2016 at UFC 199 versus rival Urijah Faber.

Cruz, a former WEC 135-pound champion as well, has been dealing with a litany of leg and upper body injuries for almost 10 years.

Kenney, 29, has won three fights in a row and five of six in the UFC. He most recently defeated Nathaniel Wood via unanimous decision in October.

The event doesn’t have a headliner just yet, nor does it have a confirmed location.

José Aldo to Fight Petr Yan for the UFC Bantamweight Title

José Aldo is staking his claim on a new title…

The 33-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and UFC fighter is set to fight Petr Yan for the bantamweight title at UFC 251 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Jose Aldo

Aldo (28 – 6 – 0), whose full name is José Aldo da Silva Oliveira Júnior, was the fourth and final WEC featherweight champion, becoming the first UFC featherweight champion after the UFC/WEC merger. 

He’s a former three-time UFC featherweight champion overall, having been the undisputed champion twice and the interim champion once. As of June 30, 2020, he is #6 in the UFC bantamweight rankings.

Yan (14 – 1 – 0) ranks No. 3 in the UFC bantamweight rankings. He formerly fought in Absolute Championship Berkut where he became the bantamweight champion and defended his belt before signing an offer with Ultimate Fighting Championships.

UFC 251 will take place on Saturday, July 11 at 9:00 pm at UFC Fight Island.

Fernando Alonso Open to Returning to Formula One in 2021

Fernando Alonsoisn’t ruling out a comeback…

The 38-year-old Spanish racing driver, regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers in the history of the sport, says he’d be open to a return to F1 in 2021 if the right opportunity came along.

Fernando Alonso

The two-time World Champion, who contested 17 seasons of Formula One, left F1 at the end of 2018 after four frustrating years at McLarenwithout a victory or podium appearance. 

Alonso has turned his attention to other pursuits outside of F1 since, winning the Le Mans 24 Hourswith Toyotain 2018.

Alonso is set to take part in the Dakar Rallyin January 2020 and will then set his sights on winning the Indy 500on his third attempt — he led for a spell on his debut at the Brickyard in 2017, but ultimately failed to finish following a Hondaengine issue. On his return last year a catalogue of McLaren errors in the build-up meant he failed to qualify for the race itself.

In an interview with Sky Sportsahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Alonso said he’s still happy to consider a return to the F1 grid.

“I’m doing Dakar in January which is a big challenge and next year hopefully Indy is in the plan again,” he said. “I’ll try and do a little bit better than this year!

“We will keep it open in the future, maybe Formula One in 2021, maybe hyper car in the WEC [World Endurance Championship.]

“I think in 2021 that is the reason why I keep open the possibilities. Maybe things mix up with the new rules so let’s see if an opportunity comes.”