Jose Aldo completed his UFC deal with a vintage performance at UFC 301, dominating rising prospect Jonathan Martinez over three rounds to win a unanimous decision.
Now his future is wide open.
Aldo returned from a two-year retirement for UFC 301 and said he has yet to make a decision regarding his fighting future. UFC has the ability to match offers over a period of time, but Aldo said he didn’t agree to fight at UFC 301 simply to become a free agent. Instead, he wanted to test himself again under MMA rules after a short 2-0-1 run in boxing.
“But now, yes, it’s time to negotiate,” Aldo said Monday on The MMA Hour. “It’s time to sit down with UFC and see what’s best for us. We’re negotiating, ‘Dede’ [Andre Pederneiras] is talking directly with Sean [Shelby] in meetings. We’re waiting to see what happens. We have several offers on the table, but from the UFC, we’re just starting [to negotiate]. It’s on ‘Dede’, Sean, and Dana [White] now, to sit at the table and decide what’s best for my life.”
Aldo revealed he agreed to box Neeraj Goyat in the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson before signing a deal to fight Martinez at UFC 301. The former UFC and WEC champion also said at UFC 301’s post-fight press conference that he liked the idea of jumping the line and challenging Sean O’Malley for the UFC bantamweight title if he reaches a new deal with the organization, and doubled down on his championship goals in 2024.
“I have to give priority to what I have my entire life, right?” Aldo said. “Thank God, the Aldo I am today, and what I do today, that’s thanks to the UFC. I want to sit down with the UFC first. Who knows, maybe [I’ll continue] in MMA. I was doing this for 20 years, always giving everything I had. I never went out, never took vacations, nothing but training and training. This time away was good for me and my head, my body. I could recover. I consider myself a great MMA fighter again.”
Aldo compiled a three-fight win streak at bantamweight over Pedro Munhoz, Rob Font, and Marlon Vera before hanging up his gloves in 2022 following a decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili. He said his dream still is to claim the 135-pound championship.
Aldo is currently waiting to hear what UFC has for him before he decides what’s best for his future and the future of his family.
“It all depends now what they will present me and what the plan for the future is,” Aldo said. “I don’t think money is the matter now, we’re not thinking about that. We’re thinking about what I can do and where can I go. That’s what we have to see now. My dream was to become champion and I’ve trained for that, my body is prepared for that. Everyone saw what I did in my return, I did a bit of everything. I was a complete MMA fighter. I’m feeling great to do even more. Who knows, to be the champion in the future.”
