José Aldo Eyes Bantamweight Title Fight vs. Sean O’Malley After UFC 301 Win

Doric SamMay 5, 2024

Alexandre Loureiro/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

After making his successful return to the Octagon at UFC 301 on Saturday, it sounds like José Aldo is already eyeing a title fight.

Aldo, who defeated Jonathan Martinez by unanimous decision in his first fight since August 2022, said in his post-fight press conference that he’d be willing to skip the line and challenge UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley for his title.

“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, per Mike Heck of MMA Fighting.

ESPN MMA @espnmmaJose Aldo said after #UFC301 that he likes the idea of skipping the line for a title fight against Sean O’Malley in the future 👀

Imagine Aldo getting another chance to become bantamweight champion 🏆 pic.twitter.com/viT3Mi8Znl

Aldo retired from the UFC following his loss to Merab Dvalishvili nearly two years ago. With UFC 301 taking place on his home turf in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he saw the opportunity to get back to action, and he proved that he can still compete at a high level.

“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,” he said. “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.”

The problem with Aldo calling for a title shot is that Dvalishvili is believed to be next in line to face O’Malley. While that fight hasn’t yet been scheduled, inserting Aldo into a title fight over Dvalishvili would likely cause an uproar since Dvalishvili already holds a win over the 37-year-old.

The fight against Martinez was the last one remaining on Aldo’s UFC contract. He said he plans to speak with UFC president Dana White about his future before deciding his next move.

“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. “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.”