The King of Rio is back! Almost eleven months after he laid down his gloves in front of his home crowd at UFC Rio in October last year in a tearful farewell, Jose Aldo is all set to make his comeback. However, the 39-year-old’s return to action will take place in a different setting, as he faces a stern challenge from a former UFC title challenger.

On Thursday, Aldo himself announced that he is all set to make his return against former bantamweight title challenger Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera in a submission-only grappling match at Hype FC on October 4. The bout will take place in Vera’s home country, Ecuador.

“MARLON VERA 🇪🇨 VS JOSÉ ALDO 🇧🇷 Quito, Ecuador October 4,” Jose Aldo wrote on X, alongside the poster for the showdown.

The Brazilian last fought Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 315 in Canada in May 2025, suffering a unanimous decision loss on the main card.

While the former UFC featherweight champion’s return might not be happening inside the cage this time, his continued activity shows just how much he loves competition. Aldo will turn 40 on September 9, yet he will still be competing just weeks after his birthday.

Aldo initially retired after suffering a defeat against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278 and then ventured into the world of boxing. However, he eventually found himself back inside the Octagon. In May 2024, the Amazonas native defeated young talent Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301 to make a triumphant return to Dana White’s promotion in front of his home crowd in Brazil. Yet, his next two bouts proved that Aldo’s best days may be behind him. 

The featherweight GOAT suffered two controversial losses that changed the course of his comeback. At UFC 307, Mario Bautista defeated him via split decision, sparking backlash against the judges over the ruling. Right after that, Aldo’s last fight against Aiemann Zahabi also became highly debated after the judges awarded the decision to his opponent.

Many believed Aldo had done enough to win two rounds, but it was the Canadian who ultimately came out victorious. Following that fight, ‘The King of Rio’ realized it was time to call it a day and announced his retirement. In a heartfelt social media post, the UFC legend also cited weight-management issues as another factor that contributed to his decision.

Well, that was the last time Jose Aldo fought inside the Octagon. However, his retirement felt incomplete, as he couldn’t lay his gloves down in front of his people in Brazil. To their credit, the UFC fulfilled Aldo’s wish by allowing him to formally announce his retirement at UFC Rio in October last year.

Now, ‘The King of Rio’ has announced that he will return for a submission-only grappling match against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera, who could present a dangerous challenge.

Marlon Vera vs. Jose Aldo early prediction for Hype FC submission-only event

One of the stellar victories of Jose Aldo’s career came against the very opponent he is set to face at Hype FC. The former featherweight king already holds a win over Marlon Vera, defeating the Ecuadorian via unanimous decision in December 2020. So, Aldo will look to repeat history once again. However, the Ecuadorian could have some significant advantages when the two meet once again.

Since losing to Aldo, the 33-year-old’s career has seen both rises and falls. Marlon Vera has beaten names like Dominick Cruz, Frankie Edgar, and Pedro Munhoz, and eventually fought Sean O’Malley for the bantamweight title. But after losing to ‘Suga,’ Vera’s career took a steep decline that has yet to find any stability.

‘Chito’ has lost three fights in a row since suffering defeat at UFC 299 in 2024 and is currently scheduled to face Charles Jourdain at UFC 331. Naturally, all eyes will be on the Ecuadorian to prove that his title challenge wasn’t a fluke. Still, even with his recent struggles inside the UFC, Vera could very well hand Aldo another defeat in his comeback.

In his 32 victories, Aldo has only two wins via submission, showing that he isn’t his best when it comes to submitting his opponents. Meanwhile, Vera has 10 submission wins. So, the discrepancy is apparent in this case. On top of that, the Ecuadorian is seven years younger and hasn’t looked particularly worn down in his fights, even in defeat.

With all those factors in mind, Jose Aldo might not get the victory in his comeback grappling match. Still, it is exciting to see one of the biggest names in MMA continuing to pursue his passion for competition.