“The cage has always been my home. The struggle, my life. Today, I close this chapter with my soul at peace,” Jose Aldo declared as he announced his retirement from MMA. From the favelas of Manaus, Brazil to global stardom, Aldo’s journey was nothing short of a Hollywood saga. But at UFC 315 came a very real moment in Aldo’s fighting career—his recent loss to Aiemann Zahabi was the wake-up call for him to hang up his gloves. But while the reign of this legend may have ended in mixed martial arts, is it truly over in combat sports? A new video has just emerged, sparking fresh speculation and leaving fans on the edge of their seats.
After announcing his retirement from the sport, Jose Aldo explained in an interview that he has achieved everything in his career, and now it’s time for him to rest. “As you know, I briefly stopped boxing, but there was something in my heart that compelled me to return to the UFC. I didn’t do it for the money. I did it to continue my story and my legacy, because if it were about money, I would have gone to another organization and earned more. Win or lose, the decision has been made—I’m not fighting again. I have other things planned for my life.”
With a career record of 32 victories and 10 losses in MMA, along with 2 wins and 1 draw in boxing, Aldo has accomplished nearly everything in his combat sports journey. Between his UFC stints, the former two-time featherweight champion pursued boxing after initially leaving the Octagon in 2022, following a loss to Merab Dvalishvili. He returned to the UFC last year and secured a victory in his comeback fight against Jonathan Martinez. However, he later suffered back-to-back defeats against Mario Bautista and Aiemann Zahabi.
Based on his statement, it appears that he has seriously retired from the sport. However, his recent activity has sparked both concern and excitement within the MMA community. Taking to his X handle, José Aldo uploaded a video of himself in a photoshoot wearing gloves, with a caption that read, “New things coming soon!”
New things coming soon! pic.twitter.com/fMJNzHx1hW
— Jose Aldo Junior (@josealdojunior) May 23, 2025
Is he making a comeback to another sport, or is it just a PR stunt? These questions have been making waves across the MMA community. Well, let’s take a look at what the fans have to say.
“Boxing,” fans say as Jose Aldo drops a mysterious video without context
Co-owned by Mike Perry and Jon Jones, Dirty Boxing has been making a big name for itself in the world of combat sports. Recently, they even signed Yoel Romero to fight under their banner. Seeing this, one fan remarked, “Aldo to @DirtyBoxing_ confirmed.” Furthermore, another social media user believes that rather than going to dirty boxing, Jose Aldo might prefer to fight under Conor McGregor‘s BKFC, considering the level of competition as well as the rewards, “Bare knuckles boxing incoming.”
Feeling a lack of concern from the UFC CEO, Dana White, for Jose Aldo, a fan added, “Good, you need a new league, the MMA @danawhite are only concerned about pushing the new generation.. You won that last fight, no matter what his bald a– head paid the refs to do.” To give you some examples, the UFC has been trying its best to push Sean O’Malley as the next big thing in the bantamweight division. In his last fight against Aiemann, Zahabi was a controversial one.
Despite Aldo’s strong performance, including a significant head kick in the third round, all three judges scored the fight 29-28 in favor of Zahabi. In addition to that, Many analysts scored in favour of Aldo, but in reality it was Zahabi who won the bout. This forced the MMA community to rally behind ‘The King of Rio’ and call the UFC out for their bias.
Moreover, as mentioned above, José has already ventured into boxing before making his comeback to the UFC. With a professional boxing record of 2-0-1, he also boasts a solid résumé in the ring. But will he return to it? One fan believes so, “Boxing.” Last but not least, a social media user reminded José Aldo of the 13-second knockout he suffered against Conor McGregor, “Famous for getting KO-ed fast.”
What do you think José Aldo is up to? Is he planning another comeback, or is it just for a photoshoot? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Calls Mount for Conor McGregor’s BKFC, Mike Perry’s Promotion, Among Others as Jose Aldo Sparks Boxing Rumors appeared first on EssentiallySports.