Jose Aldo is back. Maybe for the last time.
The former featherweight king and bantamweight contender weighed in for the first time in over two-and-a-half years on Friday, successfully coming in at 136 pounds for his co-main event fight at UFC 301 this Saturday. This marks Aldo’s return to action after he stepped away from the octagon in August 2022.
Aldo pursued a boxing career following his exit from the UFC and aims to return to the ring after fighting out the last bout on his current contract with the promotion. His opponent, Jonathan Martinez, also made weight at 136 pounds.
Watch highlights of the UFC 301 official weigh-ins:
In the main event, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and challenger Steve Erceg both made championship weight at 125 pounds. Pantoja seeks the second defense of his title after defeating Brandon Royval via unanimous decision this past December.
Erceg was the first fighter to step to the scale at Friday morning’s official weigh-ins in Rio de Janeiro. He looks to improve to 4-0 in the UFC with a win over Pantoja and complete one of the most unlikely runs to a belt in MMA history.
All 28 fighters competing on Saturday’s card at Farmasi Arena successfully made weight. However, featherweight William Gomis visibly struggled at the scale after reportedly vomiting before he weighed in. His bout with Jean Silva has been cancelled.
See official UFC 301 weigh-in results below.
Main Card UFC 301 (ESPN+ PPV at 10 p.m. ET)
- Alexandre Pantoja (125) vs. Steve Erceg (125)
- Jonathan Martinez (136) vs. Jose Aldo (136)
- Anthony Smith (205.5) vs. Vitor Petrino (206)
- Michel Pereira (186) vs. Ihor Potieria (185)
- Paul Craig (185) vs. Caio Borralho (186)
Preliminary Card UFC 301 (ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET)
- Jack Shore (145.5) vs. Joanderson Brito (146)
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz (116) vs. Iasmin Lucindo (116)
- Elves Brener (156) vs. Myktybek Orolbai (155.5)
- Jean Silva (146) vs. William Gomis (143) — cancelled
- Early Preliminary Card (ESPN2/ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET)
- Joaquim Silva (155.5) vs. Drakkar Klose (156)
- Mauricio Ruffy (156) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (155)
- Dione Barbosa (126) vs. Ernesta Kareckaite (125.5)
- Ismael Bonfim (156) vs. Vinc Pichel (156)
- Alessandro Costa (125) vs. Kevin Borjas (125.5)