The return of legendary former UFC featherweight champion José Aldo is set for the upcoming May pay-per-view in Canada.
Mixed martial arts' leading promotion is heading back to "The Great White North" later this year to stage a numbered event inside Montreal's Bell Centre, where championship defenses for Belal Muhammad and Valentina Shevchenko will headline.
A number of notable names are slated to compete on the undercard, including the likes of Alexa Grasso, Gilbert Burns, and Jéssica Andrade. And this week saw another former champion added to the equation, with Aldo (32-9) scheduled to face Aiemann Zahabi (12-2) in enemy territory.
The bout was first reported by journalist Benoit Beaudoin before being officially announced by the promotion.
For the #11-ranked Aldo, the contest marks his third since returning from a short-lived retirement. The Brazilian has gone 1-1 thus far, defeating Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro last May but falling short against Mario Bautista five months later in Salt Lake City.
#13-ranked contender Zahabi, meanwhile, has won five straight fights to climb the ladder at 135 pounds. The Canadian 37-year-old most recently outpointed veteran Pedro Munhoz in Edmonton last November.
With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 315 in Montreal on May 10 are as follows:
- Belal Muhammad (C) vs. Jack Della Maddalena (welterweight championship)
- Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot (women’s flyweight championship)
- José Aldo vs. Aiemann Zahabi (bantamweight)
- Alexa Grasso vs. Natália Silva (women’s flyweight)
- Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales (welterweight)
- Jéssica Andrade vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (women’s flyweight)
- Mike Malott vs. Charles Radtke (welterweight)
- Marc-André Barriault vs. Bruno Silva (middleweight)
- Brad Katona vs. Bekzat Almakhan (bantamweight)
- Hailey Cowan vs. Nora Cornolle (women’s bantamweight)