[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] and [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] meet Saturday in the UFC 301 co-main event at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 3-3
UFC main cards, 2024: 31-32-2
Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez UFC 301 preview
Aldo retired after a loss to Merab Dvalishvili in 2022, but it didn’t last long … Aldo had three boxing matches, and now will fight out his UFC contract … former featherweight champion has been at bantamweight for several years … Martinez has won six straight fights has bonus-winning knockouts in two of his past three against Cub Swanson and Adrian Yanez.
Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez expert pick, prediction
The co-main event in Brazil features a featherweight fight between [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] and “The King of Rio,” [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag].
Despite being out of the octagon with a self-imposed retirement since August of 2022, Aldo has quietly been staying active by taking boxing bouts. However, it would appear that Aldo finds himself in the position of having to fight out his contract so that he can truly be free and enjoy the fruits of his labor. Aldo appears to be in great shape as usual, but he faces a hungry up-and-comer in Martinez.
An unheralded talent from Factory-X Muay Thai, Martinez possesses all the tools you love to see from a southpaw kicker. Martinez is also an underrated clinch fighter, so don’t surprised if he attempts to neutralize the former featherweight champ in closed quarters.
That said, bodywork and legwork appear to be potent two-way streets for Aldo in open-stance matchups, as left-sided strikes remain Aldo’s common culprit regardless of the stance or extremity….
🧵 #UFC301 |🪡 #TheSouthpawReport: pic.twitter.com/mvtTDmFju0
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) May 3, 2024
I definitely wouldn’t mind being wrong in this spot, but Aldo’s historic availability to left-sided strikes has been siding with the hard-hitting southpaw.
Unless Aldo can storm the gates early, I see Martinez breaking down the Brazilian legend with body kicks in Round 2.
Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez odds
Martinez is a slight -140 favorite, according to FanDuel. The comeback on Aldo is +115.
Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez start time, how to watch
As the co-main event, Aldo and Martinez are expected to make their walk to the octagon around 11:45 p.m. ET. The fight airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.
For more detailed analysis from Dan Tom, check out his weekly show, “The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.”