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UFC 265 saw Jose Aldo turn in his best bantamweight performance to date as he cruised to a unanimous-decision win over ninth-ranked Pedro Munhoz in Houston, Texas.
The former UFC featherweight champion was crisp with his boxing, using a snappy jab and fiery combinations to keep 'The Young Punisher' at bay for all three rounds. Although Aldo waited until the third round to unleash his lethal leg kicks, he did enough to outbox a talented pugilist in Munhoz.
Aldo was already ranked in the top five of the bantamweight division, having fought for the vacant title against Petr Yan last year. He should be up against another quality opponent as he attempts to become a two-division UFC champion.
Here are five potential future opponents for Jose Aldo after UFC 265.
#5 Jose Aldo vs Dominick Cruz
Currently ranked tenth, Dominick Cruz is an enigma in the UFC's bantamweight division. His history with injuries is well documented, and 'The Dominator' last fought at UFC 259 in March, where he beat Casey Kenney.
Cruz's win over Kenney was his first in over four years as he spent a considerable amount of time on the sidelines after losing the title to Cody Garbrandt in December 2016. His comeback against Henry Cejudo last year was marred by a slightly early stoppage, following which he returned to face Kenney.
Despite a sketchy recent track record and his advanced age, Cruz is a legitimate threat at bantamweight. A fight against Jose Aldo wouldn't make any sense rankings-wise, but it would be something every fan would give an eye for. The former WEC champions and inaugural UFC titleholders could turn back the clock as they reach the end of their respective careers.
Speaking about the possibility of a fight against Cruz, Jose Aldo said in March:
“It’s a big fight to make, Dominick and me, because of our importance [in the sport]. We were both WEC champions and then came to the UFC as champions, so it’s a big fight to make.”
#4 Jose Aldo vs T.J. Dillashaw
Ever since moving down to bantamweight, Jose Aldo has continually expressed an interest in fighting one of the division's greatest in T.J. Dillashaw. He mentioned it ahead of UFC 265, as well as in the post-fight press conference.
While Aldo vs Dillashaw would be a banger, would it make a lot of sense for the UFC? Dillashaw edged Cory Sandhagen on his return to the promotion, setting himself up for the next shot at the title. The former bantamweight champion's comeback timeline is also not completely certain after damaging ligaments in his knee.
If the timelines work out, we could see this fight happen. After beating Sandhagen, Dillashaw said he is willing to take another fight to keep himself active before fighting for the title. If the UFC books Cory Sandhagen vs Rob Font in a title eliminator bout, Aldo vs Dillashaw might become inevitable.
#3 Jose Aldo vs loser of Petr Yan/Aljamain Sterling
Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling are expected to face off in late October in a highly anticipated rematch. Assuming 'Funkmaster' returns from his neck surgery on time, we could see the loser of the fight attempt to rebound against Jose Aldo.
Yan has opened as the early favorite in the rematch, but anything can happen in MMA. If 'No Mercy' falls to Sterling, and Sandhagen vs Font becomes official, Aldo could have a tantalizing rematch against the Russian on his hands. Will Aldo fare any better against Yan this time around? He had his moments in the first meeting before brutally being beaten up in the final round, and only time will tell.
Aldo vs Sterling promises to be a fascinating clash of styles. While the Brazilian is a jiu-jitsu black belt, he isn't a willing grappler and has one of the best takedown defense rates in UFC history. It might be a bad matchup for Sterling, one Aldo would back himself to win.
#2 Jose Aldo vs Cory Sandhagen
After losing to T.J. Dillashaw, Cory Sandhagen was frank in his assessment of the fight despite claiming that he thinks he should've ended up on the right side of the result. 'The Sandman' is 2-2 in his last four UFC fights, with both his wins having come against fighters past their prime in Frankie Edgar and Marlon Moraes.
Meanwhile, Font and Dillashaw have better cases to fight for the title, or at the very least for the #1 contender spot. Sandhagen might have to settle for a step down in competition in the form of Jose Aldo, who could prove to be a tricky customer for the American.
Can Aldo use his leg kicks to limit Sandhagen's creative movement? It will be a fascinating tactical matchup, one that has a real chance of being booked in the future.
#1 Jose Aldo vs Rob Font
Ranked one place ahead of Jose Aldo in the UFC bantamweight division, Rob Font might be the perfect next opponent for the 'King of Rio'. A supremely technical boxer who is currently on a four-fight win streak, the Boston native will back himself to beat Aldo, who is fast moving towards a similar boxing-oriented style.
Sandhagen might be a difficult challenge for Aldo to overcome. Font may be a much more logical step-up in competition as 'Junior' gets accustomed to the trials and tribulations of competing at bantamweight.
