Aldo vs. Stephens set to co-headline UFC's return to Calgary
For the first time in a long time, Jose Aldo won't be fighting for a UFC crown.
A featherweight clash between the former champion and Jeremy Stephens will serve as the co-main event of UFC on FOX 30 on July 28 in Calgary, the promotion confirmed to Danny Austin of the Calgary Sun on Friday.
The development comes after the matchup - Aldo's first non-title affair in a dozen promotional bouts - was briefly attached to the UFC's June visit to Singapore.
Aldo, 31, has lost two straight and three of his last four, all by knockout. The once indomitable champ most recently caught the short end of two third-round TKOs courtesy of reigning champ Max Holloway at UFC 212 and 218 - the latter on short notice - defeats that put the Brazilian on the first skid of his 13-plus-year career. His promotional record sits at 8-3.
Stephens, meanwhile, has emerged as a contender at 145 lbs with three straight victories. After taking a lopsided decision over Gilbert Melendez at UFC 215 and scoring a brutal second-round knockout of Doo Ho Choi at UFC Fight Night 124 in January, the Alliance MMA man treated Josh Emmett to the latter fate the following month at UFC on FOX 28. He's gone 8-5 since moving down from lightweight five years ago.
Also reported for the outfit's first bill in Calgary since 2012's UFC 149 were the following matchups:
- Women's Flyweight Bout: Alexis Davis vs. Katlyn Chookagian
- Strawweight Bout: Randa Markos vs. Nina Ansaroff
- Flyweight Bout: Dustin Ortiz vs, Matheus Nicolau
- Light Heavyweight Bout: Ion Cutelaba vs. Gadzhimurad Antigulov
- Featherweight Bout: Hakeem Dawodu vs. Austin Arnett
- Welterweight Bout: Jordan Mein vs. Alex Morono
- Lightweight Bout: John Makdessi vs. Ross Pearson
- Lightweight Bout: Islam Makhachev vs. Kajan Johnson
A main event has not been booked for the event as of yet, although the UFC is hoping to pit flyweight queen Nicco Montano against Valentina Shevchenko.