The UFC has finalized a big time matchup in the bantamweight division. Combate was the first to report today that the promotion has finalized a bantamweight matchup between Jose Aldo (29-7) and Pedro Munhoz (19-5, 1 NC).
The two top eight bantamweights will meet at UFC 265 on August 7th. Pedro Munhoz will be trying to pickup his second consecutive win as he tries to become a title contender at 135 pounds.
We last saw Munhoz in February when he had his rematch with Jimmie Rivera. Munhoz used his devastating leg kicks to chop down Rivera and pick up a decision win. That win was Munhoz’s first win since UFC 235 in March of 2019.
Prior to that victory, Munhoz had lost decisions to Frankie Edgar and Aljamain Sterling. Before losing those two fights in a row, Munhoz had a knockout win over former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt.
This is a massive opportunity for Munhoz against one of the bigger names in the division. If he can defeat Aldo in August, Munhoz will likely be in a good position to get a title eliminator in his next matchup.
UFC 265
Jose Aldo will also be looking to pick up his second consecutive win at UFC 265. Aldo picked up his first victory in the bantamweight division back in December when he defeated Chito Vera by decision.
The long-time featherweight champion made the drop to bantamweight late in 2019. At UFC 245, Aldo took on Marlon Moraes in his divisional debut. Aldo lost a decision, but the majority of people believe that he won the fight.
In fact, despite losing, Aldo’s next fight was for the bantamweight title. Aldo lost to Petr Yan at UFC 251 in his bid to become a champion in his second weight class. After that loss, Aldo reset prior to his fight with Chito Vera.
There’s no questioning the fact that Aldo has slowed down a little since the days of his prime. However, even with him slowing down, he’s still one of the very best the UFC has to offer. If he can defeat Munhoz in August, he will be right back in the title conversation at 135 pounds.