Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo looks all set to start making the transition from MMA to boxing.
Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo looks like he’s going forward with a long-teased plan to jump over to boxing. Having retired from MMA in 2022, the Brazilian now appears to have a date and an opponent to make his debut in the ring.
Per Combate’s report, Aldo will take on Argentinian Emmanuel Zambrano in just a couple of weeks, on February 10. The fight will take place under Shooto’s banner and at the 139-pound division.
Zambrano (0-3) has three losses on his professional boxing record, two by decision and one knockout. His last outing took place in November 2020, when he lost via TKO to Alexis Nahuel Torres.
Aldo (31-8) retired from mixed martial arts following a unanimous decision loss to Merab Dvalishivili, in August 2022. During his career, the 35-year-old defended the UFC featherweight title seven times—including wins over some of his generations most notable names, like Frankie Edgar, Chad Mendes, Chan Sung Jung and Ricardo Lamas, among others.
Alongside his shift in pugilistic careers, the UFC announced during their latest PPV broadcast that Aldo would be the next fighter to be inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame. Hopefully the boxing ring treats him half as well as his MMA career did.