Jose Aldo was recently inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and the promotion’s first featherweight champion will now be trying his hand at boxing. Fans can expect to see the Brazilian back in action as early as next month. Aldo was freed from his UFC contract last year despite having one fight left, which allowed him to pursue other opportunities.
‘Junior’ announced his retirement from MMA after Merab Dvalishvili ended his three-fight win streak at UFC 278. Jose Aldo retired with a record of 31 victories and eight defeats with 17 of those wins coming by way of knockout.
However, it seems the 36-year-old is set to compete in another combat sport soon. According to a report by Combate, Jose Aldo is reportedly set to face Emmanuel Zambrano in the boxing ring at the Upper Arena in Rio de Janeiro on February 10.
Aldo’s 33-year-old Argentinian opponent has a pro-boxing record of 0-2 and the two fighters will most likely compete in the 63.5kg category. It was also reported that the Brazilian’s boxing debut will be available to watch on the UFC Fight Pass streaming service.
Aldo also recently teased his boxing debut on Instagram:
“Save the date, we gon’ run this town. 10.02”
Conor McGregor reacts to Jose Aldo getting inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame
Jose Aldo could not hold back his tears at UFC 283 as he was announced as the first fighter to be inducted into the 2023 UFC Hall of Fame. The former featherweight champion announced his retirement last September after losing to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278 via unanimous decision.
Aldo’s former rival Conor McGregor reacted to the news of his induction with a single-word tweet:
“Earned!”
Aldo had a long and glorious career in the UFC during which Conor McGregor was one of his fiercest rivals. After defending his featherweight title seven times, Aldo ultimately faced the Irishman at UFC 194. In the bout, ‘The Notorious’ secured his famous 13-second knockout over Jose Aldo.
During his run in the 145-pound division, ‘Junior’ held victories over highly accomplished fighters like Chan Sung Jung, Frankie Edgar, Chad Mendes, Ricardo Lamas, and Renato Moicano.
Aldo will now be looking to make his mark in the world of boxing as he gears up to make his debut in the squared circle next month.