Jose Aldo return targeted for UFC 307 vs. Mario Bautista
"The King of Rio" will return at UFC 307.
Former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] will battle [autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag] in a three-round bantamweight bout Oct. 5 at Delta Center.
Both fighters confirmed the booking on social media, although the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Ag. Fight first reported the matchup Thursday.
Aldo (32-8 MMA, 14-7 UFC) returned from a near-two-year MMA retirement in May when he defeated Jonathan Martinez by unanimous decision. The bout was his first since a July 2022 loss to Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision. During his MMA hiatus, Aldo competed in three professional boxing matches and went 2-1. He was also inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023.
Bautista (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) enters his biggest fight to date on a six-fight winning streak. In January, he defeated Ricky Simon by unanimous decision. Bautista is a longtime member of the MMA Lab, training under coach John Crouch and alongside the likes of Sean O'Malley, Kyler Phillips, and more.
With the addition, the UFC 307 lineup includes:
Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista
Chris Curtis vs. Kevin Holland
Iasmin Lucindo vs. Marina Rodriguez
Cesar Almeida vs. Ihor Potieria
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 307.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jose Aldo return targeted for UFC 307 vs. Mario Bautista