Tag: Jose Aldo

UFC 301 ‘Embedded,’ No. 6: ‘I suspect we’re going to piss off a lot of Brazil’

In Episode 6 of UFC 301 “Embedded,” Anthony Smith predicts his Factory X squad is going to send the local fans home disappointed.

The UFC returns with its fifth pay-per-view of 2024, which means the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 301 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

In the main event, Brazilian flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) puts his title on the line against [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC). And in the co-main event, former featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) ends his retirement for one more fight in Rio against [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC).

The sixth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

At UFC 301 in Rio, Jose Aldo and Alexandre Pantoja breeze through weigh-ins as Steve Erceg preps for his first title shot. Caio Borralho enjoys pool time with his son, while Jonathan Martinez resists a tempting Brazilian feast. All leading to the Flyweight main event on Saturday, May 4, 2024.

Also see:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

UFC 301: Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC 301 odds between Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round bantamweight bout on the main card, Jose Aldo and Jonathan Martinez meet Saturday at UFC 301 at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC 301: Aldo vs. Martinez odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The early prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN+. The prelims begin at 8 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 10 p.m. ET and is on pay-per-view.

Records: Aldo (31-8-0) | Martinez (19-4-0)

The veteran Aldo makes his way back to the octagon for the 1st time since Aug. 20, 2022, when he lost via unanimous decision to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278. He had won the previous 3 fights, all via unanimous decision, since a 5th-round KO/TKO loss in a title fight to Petr Yan at UFC 251.

Aldo announced his retirement in 2022, but he had been working on a potential fight with Dominick Cruz. That ended up falling through, but Martinez took the fight in Cruz’s place to keep Aldo on the card in his native Brazil.

Martinez has rattled off 6 consecutive victories since a 2nd-round KO/TKO loss to Davey Grant back in March 2021. He has a pair of knockout wins in the 6-bout win streak, with 4 unanimous-decision wins.

The 37-year-old Hall of Famer Aldo has landed 3.57 significant strikes per minute at a 50.30% accuracy percentage. He also has done work on the mat, posting a 0.49 takedown average with a 54.17% takedown accuracy percentage and 0.15 submission average.

The southpaw Martinez has an outstanding 4.64 significant strikes landed per minute, and he is slightly more accurate at 52.81%.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC 301: Aldo vs. Martinez odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:05 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Martinez -145 (bet $145 to win $100) | Aldo +120 (bet $100 to win $120)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -225 | No +165)

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UFC 301: Aldo vs. Martinez picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

Aldo (+120) makes his way back to the octagon, and what a story it would be for him to return to his native Brazil to pull off one more victory.

However, the time is now for MARTINEZ (-145), who will have his coming out party in hostile territory. He has some awe-inspiring wins, including a KO/TKO of Cub Swanson in Oct. 2022, but beating Aldo after a nearly 2-year hiatus would be impressive.

Over/Under (O/U)

Martinez has ended up going the distance in 4 of his past 6 fights. Aldo has seen the judges decide his fate in each of the previous 4 outings. While that’s all well and good, there are some concerns about Aldo’s cardio after such a long layoff. Is “Junior” back to his pre-retirement self, and will he be able to go a full 3 rounds with a beast like Martinez?

YES (-225): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? is a little on the expensive side, but it’s worth a look. And if that’s too expensive for your taste, playing MARTINEZ BY DECISION (+125) at plus-money is a much better value.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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Video: UFC 301 preview: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg, Jose Aldo returns, more

Our panel on “Spinning Back Clique” previews Saturday’s UFC 301, including Pantoja vs. Erceg, Jose Aldo’s return and more.

On this week’s episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel breaks down the upcoming UFC 301 pay-per-view event.

In the headlining bout, [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] defends his UFC flyweight title against [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag]. And in the co-main event, [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] makes his return to the UFC to take on [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag]. UFC 301 goes down this Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Although it might not be the biggest pay-per-view event on paper, there are several important storylines to analyze and break down.

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King, Farah Hannoun, and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia discuss all things UFC 301.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and also don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or podcast form.

https://youtube.com/live/1W_eLDUuvQE

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Video: UFC 301 ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs with title fight headliner, Jose Aldo’s return, more

UFC 301 ceremonial weigh-ins are in the books and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday’s event.

UFC 301ceremonial weigh-ins took place Friday, and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday’s event.

The weigh-ins took place at Rio Arena. The same venue hosts Saturday’s event, which has a main card on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

Check out the video above to see the athletes from all 13 scheduled matchups come face-to-face, including the [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] flyweight title headliner, [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] welcoming UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] back from retirement in the co-main event, and more.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

UFC 301 ‘Embedded,’ No. 5: Nightswimming deserves a quiet night with Karolina Kowalkiewicz

In Episode 5 of UFC 301 “Embedded,” Karolina Kowalkiewicz heads to the beach and the fighters face off at a press conference.

The UFC returns with its fifth pay-per-view of 2024, which means the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 301 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

In the main event, Brazilian flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) puts his title on the line against [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC). And in the co-main event, former featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) ends his retirement for one more fight in Rio against [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC).

The fourth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Champion Alexandre Pantoja, Steve Erceg, Jose Aldo, and Anthony Smith talk at media day. Champ Alex Pereira, DC and Big Nog pop by. Karolina Kowalkiewicz walks on the beach. Erceg trains with a legend; Paul Craig embraces pressure.

Also see:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Jonathan Martinez questions Jose Aldo’s motivation in UFC return: ‘I don’t think he wants to be here’

Is Jose Aldo taking his return to the UFC seriously? His opponent Jonathan Martinez has his doubts.

“I don’t think he wants to be here.”

That’s what [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] said as he questioned the motive behind [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]’s return to the UFC.

Aldo (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC), a former UFC and WEC featherweight champion, makes his highly-anticipated return to MMA Saturday against Martinez (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro.

Martinez thinks Aldo is returning to MMA for the wrong reasons and doesn’t think the Brazilian is taking him seriously.

“They got him back because they needed someone on this card, so they called on him,” Martinez explained in an interview in Spanish with MMA Junkie. “He was already retired, doing boxing, and I just think they paid him more to get him on this card.

“Also, in every interview, he says he wants to box and wants to get on that Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson card. I think he thinks this fight is going to be easy because that’s like a month and a half away. I hope he’s not sleeping on me because something can happen.”

Aldo retired almost two years ago. He did have a few fights in boxing, but he was formally retired from MMA. He even got inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last year.

Although Martinez sees Aldo distracted, he’s expecting, and he prepared for the best version of him, and he’s confident getting a win will place him favorably in the division.

“Getting a win over him will put me close to that top five, and that’s what I’m looking for,” Martinez said. “I know this is a tough fight, and I’m training hard for it, and I’m confident. I know I prepared well, and you guys will see on Saturday.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

UFC 301 main, co-main event official weigh-in highlights video

UFC 301 official weigh-ins are complete, and everyone was on the mark for Saturday’s event.

UFC 301 weigh-ins took place Friday, and the main and co-main event fighters were on their marks for the top of the card.

The weigh-ins took place at the UFC host hotel in Rio de Janeiro. The nearby Farmasi Arena hosts Saturday’s event (pay-per-view/ESPN/ESPN+). Check out the video above to see [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) on the scale, as well as [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) and [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC).

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Alexander Volkanovski calls Jose Aldo featherweight GOAT ahead of UFC 301: ‘He’s how a champion should be’

Alexander Volkanovski hasn’t changed his mind on his choice for the greatest featherweight in UFC history.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] hasn’t changed his mind on who the greatest featherweight of all time is.

Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) defended his 145-pound title five times before losing it to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 in February. His resume includes wins over [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag], Max Holloway three times, and Brian Ortega.

But Volkanovski had high praise for “The King of Rio” and the way he carried himself throughout his six-year championship reign that began in the WEC.

“Obviously his technique, his skill is always going to be something that you’re going to appreciate, but him being such a respectful champion,” Volkanovski told Fox Sports Australia. “Again, that’s how I like to be like. I think he’s morally correct, I think he’s just respectful. He’s how a champion should be, and that was something that I really did appreciate and made me want to be a great champion, too.”

Aldo (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) returns vs. Jonathan Martinez (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 301 (Pay-per-view/ESPN/ESPN+) bantamweight co-main event at Rio Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

Volkanovski admitted Aldo’s UFC record seven title defenses at featherweight makes him the greatest in the history of the division.

“I can appreciate what Aldo’s done, you know what I mean,” Volkanovski said. “That’s for other people to decide but you know for me, if you’re going to ask me, I’m going to say Aldo because you know, he was a champion for a very long time.

“Obviously, people are going to look at competition and all that, but to be champion that long, things go wrong. You fight injured, there’s so many things that can go wrong and to be champion that long, it’s saying something. He was very dominant as champion, as well, so full respect to Aldo.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

UFC 301 ‘Embedded,’ No. 4: Jose Aldo and Alexandre Pantoja meet up with a Brazilian soccer legend

In Episode 4 of UFC 301 “Embedded,” Jose Aldo and Alexandre Pantoja connect with Zico on the pitch.

The UFC returns with its fifth pay-per-view of 2024, which means the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 301 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

In the main event, Brazilian flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) puts his title on the line against [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC). And in the co-main event, former featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) ends his retirement for one more fight in Rio against [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC).

The fourth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Steve Erceg hits a street party. Caio Borralho trains. Karolina Kowalkiewicz embraces the sun. Michel Pereira gets PT and game plans. Alessandro Costa dreams big with Diego Lopes. Champ Alexandre Pantoja faces off with Erceg.

Also see:

[lawrence-related id=2737374,2737331,2737328,2737317]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Jose Aldo’s coach predicts brutal knockout over Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301

Jose Aldo’s coach expects vintage form from the “King of Rio” at UFC 301.

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]’s coach expects vintage form from the “King of Rio.”

Aldo (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) will end his retirement to take on [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 301 (Pay-per-view/ESPN/ESPN+) co-main event at Rio Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

Aldo’s muay Thai coach, Emerson Falcão, previewed the bout vs. Martinez, who is on a six-fight winning streak.

“Aldo’s opponent is going to be Jonathan Martinez. He’s a tough opponent,” Falcao said on Episode 1 of UFC “Embedded.” “He has a good kick. He’s very versatile. So, we tried to build the camp around that.”

Aldo hung up his gloves after a frustrating loss to No. 1 contender Merab Dvalishvili in August 2022. Prior to that, he won three straight over Marlon Vera, Pedro Munhoz and Rob Font. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, but it didn’t take long for him to get the itch to compete in the octagon again – especially in his hometown.

UFC 301 marks the final fight on former featherweight champion Aldo’s contract, but Falcão ensures that the desire to put on a show is there.

“Jose Aldo is very well trained and, more importantly, motivated,” Falcão continued. “He’s looking for the knockout, wanting to fight, wanting to brawl. On May 4, we can only expect a brutal victory via knockout.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.