REPORT | José Aldo vs. Mario Bautista added to UFC 307

UFC Hall of Famer José Aldo will make his bantamweight return to the Octagon against the surging Mario Bautista at UFC 307.

Ag.Fight was the first to report the news of the Aldo vs. Bautista booking. A UFC women’s bantamweight matchup between Kayla Harrison and Ketlen Vieira is also reportedly in the works for the card.

Aldo returns to the Octagon after making his surprising, albeit highly-anticipated, comeback at UFC 301 earlier this year. He defeated Jonathan Martinez by unanimous decision after nearly two full years away from MMA.

Aldo opted to retire from MMA after a loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278. The loss snapped a three-fight winning streak at 135lbs, including wins over Rob Font and Marlon Vera.

Jose Aldo is regarded by many as one of the greatest UFC featherweights of all time but has also had a respectable run in the bantamweight division. He fought for the then-vacant bantamweight title at UFC 251, falling to Petr Yan by fifth-round TKO.

José Aldo vs. Mario Bautista is reportedly in the works

BREAKING! UFC encaminha Jose Aldo vs Mario Bautista para o dia 5 de outubro

— Ag. Fight (@AgFight) August 1, 2024

Aldo will face another tough test in Bautista, who has surged into the bantamweight Top 15 in 2024. He most recently defeated Ricky Simón in January to extend his six-fight winning streak.

Since losing to Cory Sandhagen in his UFC debut in 2019, Bautista has won eight of his last nine fights. He hasn’t lost since a TKO defeat to Trevin Jones at UFC 259.

Bautista has earned wins over the likes of Jay Perrin, Brian Kelleher, and Da’Mon Blackshear during his UFC tenure. He’s also a top teammate of UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley in Arizona.

Aldo vs. Bautista adds to a building card at UFC 307, reportedly set to take place in Salt Lake City, UT. The card’s main event has yet to be announced, as of this writing, but Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway is in the mix to headline.