Jose Aldo reacts to free agency, possibly skipping line to fight Sean O’Malley after UFC 301 win
Jose Aldo is now one of the hottest free agents in MMA, but he plans to sit down with Dana White and the UFC brass to discuss his future following an impressive unanimous decision win against Jonathan Martinez in the co-main event of UFC 301.
The biggest reason is because he has to, based on the language in his contract.
“I always have to sit with the UFC, because in the contract, there is this, isn’t it? The UFC can match any offer that pops up,” Aldo said in Portuguese at the UFC 301 post-fight press conference. “So, calm down, I think first we have to sit with Dana, have to see ... and see what is the best path we can take.”
Aldo returned for the first time in nearly two years to defeat Martinez on his home turf in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was his first octagon appearance since losing a decision to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278 in August 2022.
Despite losing to Dvalishvili, who many believe is the top contender to face Sean O’Malley for the bantamweight title later this year, Aldo can see a world where he could possibly skip the line to fight for the title should he re-sign with the promotion.
“That’s what [my manager] says — I can skip line, I can get in there, because when we left, we were very well ranked,” Aldo said. “I feel happy to be part of this card. I think we [are lucky to have ended up] here in Rio, right? Because when I started talking with the UFC [in] January, there were no plans of doing a UFC [event] in Rio, but thank God it worked.
“Not that I saved the card, but being able to come here and do a great show. I hope this can [help], can’t it? If we can skip the line, it would be great. I think that’s it. I’ll get some rest, and go back to strong training, and new challenges will come.”
Aldo said prior to his octagon return that he was offered a fight on the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing card on July 20 in Arlington, Texas. While “The King of Rio” is open to that opportunity if it’s available to him, the longtime featherweight champion is not in any rush to make that decision.
“Yes, it can be [boxing], like I told you,” Aldo said. “I received offers, I was sent a contract [for the Paul vs. Tyson card], but I said, ‘No, I’m with UFC, so I need to fight, I need to see how I am.’
“Yeah, that’s a big one. It’s a window that opened to me. So, man, first, with all due respect, my life has always been here. So I have to come and sit, and see what is the best path we can take.”
If Aldo sticks with the UFC, there are certainly compelling options for him outside of a title fight — perhaps in bouts with former champions Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz, or perhaps a matchup with perennial contender Cory Sandhagen.
In fact, Cejudo and Sandhagen were names Aldo asked for prior to booking his bout with Martinez.
“As incredible as it sounds, and I forgot to talk about this, I had asked to fight with Sandhagen, but [he] was hurt, wasn’t he?” Aldo said. “But before that, I messaged Henry Cejudo talking about this possibility, but he had just fought, and would go through shoulder surgery, man, so that’s why it couldn’t happen here in Rio either. That could have been Henry [or] Dominick, right?
“So it was two guys we talked about a lot for this to happen, but with Henry, I started [the process on my own], I texted him, I asked with all due respect [what] he thought of doing this fight. Not here in Rio, but anywhere else for me to go back. And he said no, he’s going through surgery. So that’s why it didn’t happen.”