Which first requires a victory over Rob Font.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight champion Jose Aldo looks to climb another rung on the 135-pound ladder by defeating Rob Font in the UFC Vegas 44 main event this weekend at the APEX facility in Las Vegas.
A victory would mark his third straight and likely catapult Aldo into title contention. But with Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling yet to settle their championship differences, “Junior” may need another win over a Top 5 opponent to cement his bantamweight title shot.
Paging TJ Dillashaw…
“It might happen,” Aldo told MMA Fighting’s Portuguese-language podcast Trocação Franca. “The fact Sterling is injured and we don’t know when he’s coming back, that [Dillashaw fight] could indeed happen in the future. Dillashaw and I, I don’t know if right now or in the near future, we want this fight. It’s a great fight for both of us, the UFC and the fans, so we’d all agree. I don’t know if it could be on the same card [of Sterling-Yan]. If it is, I’ll be ready. My history is rich, so is his, and we need to make this fight.”
Still no love for Dominick Cruz.
You can argue that Font (19-4) would be in a similar position with a victory over Aldo (30-7). The 34 year-old bantamweight is the winner of four straight and sits one spot above the Brazilian at No. 4 in the official 135-pound rankings (see the Top 15 here).
There is no timeline yet on Sterling’s comeback but “Funk Master” already made it clear that he’s not returning from neck surgery until he’s 100-percent ready for combat. Another setback or delay could have Yan defending his interim strap in early 2022.
Against … Dillashaw?