“Bro realized losing to Merab doesn’t mean you’re washed” – Hall-of-Famer Jose Aldo’s return to action at UFC 301 in Brazil leaves fans surprised
Jose Aldo's career took a major hit after losing his featherweight title to Conor McGregor at UFC 194.
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Reports suggest Jose Aldo is to fight Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301 (via Imago)
UFC legend, Jose Aldo is to come out of retirement and take on the surging bantamweight contender Jonathan Martinez. The fight is scheduled for UFC’s return to Rio, Brazil – UFC 301. The fight card desperately needed a big name and now it has it.
Jose Aldo retired from the UFC after a devastating decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278. Unwilling to fight in other MMA promotions, the Brazilian turned to pro-boxing and earned a couple of wins. Now, probably after realizing he has still got what it takes to compete in MMA, Aldo decided to return to the UFC.
Jose Aldo was a legend of the sport and arguably the greatest of all time in featherweight. He was a long-reigning UFC champion who had secured seven title defenses. However, he had a rough patch at the 145lbs division and moved down to bantamweight in 2019. As such, he went 3-3 before announcing his retirement. Owing to his accolades in the UFC, the promotion inducted him into the Hall of Fame last year.
Now, over a year after retirement, Jose Aldo returns to the UFC. Standing in his way is a young and hungry contender Jonathan Martinez. Nicknamed ‘Dragon’, Martinez is on a tear in the bantamweight division. He is on a six-fight win streak and would pose serious trouble for the returning former champion. Nonetheless, the news of Aldo’s return had the fans excited. However, the UFC is yet to announce the fight officially.
Fans react to Jose Aldo’s comeback from retirement
Jose Aldo was a fan favorite and his retirement certainly left a sour taste among the fans. However, they celebrated the impressive career of the Brazilian champion and let him rest at the top. Now, out of nowhere, the UFC announced the King of Rio’s comeback from retirement. As such, he will face Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301 in his home country.
This news spread like wildfire among the MMA fanbase and had them on their toes. Many welcomed Aldo’s decision as they still considered he was one of the best, despite being 37 years old. As such, they were excited about the UFC veteran’s comeback. Here are some interesting fan reactions:
Most fans were ecstatic about the legend’s comeback, but some had contradicting opinions. They felt Aldo was old and doubted his chances of competing at the highest level. There was some truth to it as bantamweight is one of the stacked divisions and Henry Cejudo who made a U-turn from retirement went 0-2. Some fans even pointed out it was a desperate move from the UFC to fix its ‘weak’ UFC 301 fight card.
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Kaviarasu K
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