Jose Aldo rematches Marlon Vera on Sunday in Ecuador under submission-only grappling rules at Hype, returning to competition 17 months after retiring from MMA. Aldo beat Vera by decision in their 2020 UFC meeting, his first win as a bantamweight. Aldo says he has barely trained jiu-jitsu, spending his time playing tennis and footvolley, and has not set foot in a gym in over a year. He had previously turned down Hype offers to face Jean Silva in Rio de Janeiro and a later bout in Sao Paulo.
Jose Aldo is set to return to competition on Sunday in Ecuador, facing Marlon Vera in a submission-only grappling match at Hype. The bout comes 17 months after Aldo retired from MMA and doubles as a rematch of their 2020 UFC meeting.
Aldo won that first encounter by decision, and it marked his first victory as a bantamweight. The Brazilian, now 40, carries a professional record of 32-10-0 and trains out of Nova Uniao. He has landed 3.65 significant strikes per minute at 46 percent accuracy in his career, with 0.47 takedowns per 15 minutes. Aldo admits he is hardly in grappling shape. He says he has barely trained jiu-jitsu, spending his time on tennis and footvolley instead, and has not set foot in a gym in over a year.
Vera, nicknamed "Chito," is a 33-year-old Ecuadorian who fights out of Team Oyama. He holds a 24-12-1 record and sits at number 10 in the bantamweight rankings. The switch-stance fighter stands five-foot-eight with a 70-inch reach, the same as Aldo's, and lands 4.24 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy. His submission attempt rate of 0.7 per 15 minutes is well above Aldo's 0.1, a figure that gives him a clear grappling-attempt edge on paper. He will also have the home crowd in Ecuador behind him.
Aldo had previously turned down Hype offers, including a matchup with Jean Silva in Rio de Janeiro and a later bout in Sao Paulo. The Vera rematch is the one he accepted.
Why it matters
- It is Aldo's first competitive appearance since retiring from MMA 17 months ago.
- The submission-only format removes striking, the area where both men have built their careers.
- It gives Vera a chance to avenge his 2020 decision loss in front of an Ecuadorian crowd.
- Aldo's admission that he has barely trained grappling adds a clear question mark over his preparation.
