"The King of Rio" is back.
UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo is coming out of retirement and will meet Jonathan Martinez in a bantamweight bout at UFC 301 on May 4 in Rio de Janeiro, the promotion announced.
Aldo retired in August 2022 after a loss to Merab Dvalishvili. He had one fight left on his UFC contract, sources told Raimondi. The former featherweight champion was inducted into the promotion's Hall of Fame last year.
Aldo crossed over to boxing after leaving MMA and has competed in three bouts (including one exhibition), going 2-0-1. He most notably squared off with former UFC fighter Jeremy Stephens last April.
Aldo was riding a three-fight winning streak heading into his UFC 278 fight against Dvalishvili, with victories over the likes of Marlon "Chito" Vera and Rob Font. Widely regarded as the greatest featherweight and one of the top fighters in MMA history, Aldo dropped down to 135 pounds in the final chapter of his career. He put together a 3-3 record and received a title shot against Petr Yan.
Martinez has won six straight and is coming off a TKO of Adrian Yanez last October. The 29-year-old trains out of Factory X in Colorado and is ranked No. 14 in the division.
