UFC 307 Report: Hall of Famer Jose Aldo Slated to Return against Surging Contender

Aldo will face yet another bantamweight dark horse in the first fight of his new UFC contract.

Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports

"The King of Rio" is back for the second time this year.

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There were a lot of questions surrounding Jose Aldo's future following what was a successful return at UFC 301, where he defeated Jonathan Martinez to earn a place inside the Top 10 bantamweight rankings. This was the final fight of Aldo's contract but as we're now finding out, the free agent isn't going anywhere with Aldo deciding to re-sign with the UFC.

Aldo To Fight Mario Bautista At UFC 307

According to a report from Ag Fight, the former featherweight champion is targeted to face the #12-ranked Mario Bautista at UFC 307 on Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The bantamweight matchup is currently in the works for this date, with the UFC yet to make an official announcement.

BREAKING! UFC encaminha Jose Aldo vs Mario Bautista para o dia 5 de outubro

— Ag. Fight (@AgFight) August 1, 2024

Aldo's Bantamweight Run

Brazil's Aldo has won four of his last five fights at bantamweight since making the move from the featherweight division in 2019.

Aldo did take a two-year hiatus from MMA, announcing his retirement following a loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278, only to return after a few bouts in the boxing ring.

Former UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo. / Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports

After getting back into the win column in May, the 37-year-old is still set on becoming a two-weight world champion - a feat he nearly achieved, had he defeated Petr Yan for the vacant bantamweight title in 2020.

Bautista Shooting For The Top

As for Aldo's opponent, Mario Bautista rides a stellar six-fight win streak and is one of the more active fighters on the UFC roster, fighting three times in both 2022 and 2023.

Bautista, 31, started off his 2024 with a decision victory over Ricky Simon in the biggest win of his career thus far.

UFC Bantamweight Mario Bautista. / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The MMA Lab-product looks to add an even bigger name to his resume at UFC 307, and it doesn't get much better than a UFC Hall of Famer in Jose Aldo.

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