Former featherweight champion Jose Aldo and long-time featherweight contender Jeremy Stephens have recently expressed mutual interest in fighting one another. From the sounds of it, the’ll get their wish.
According to Sport TV and CanalCombat reporter Ana Hissa, Aldo has officially been offered a bout with Stephens. The bout is being targeted for the UFC’s June 17 return to the MMA hotbed of Singapore.
Aldo diz que foi oferecido e aceitou luta contra Jeremy Stephens em Singapura no dia 23 de junho, só falta oficializar.
— Ana Hissa (@AnaHissa) March 18, 2018
When we last saw Jose Aldo in action, he failed to reclaim the UFC featherweight title from reigning champion Max Holloway, succumbing to a third-round TKO. In his next most recent fight, Aldo lost another third-round TKO to Holloway, this time surrendering the title to the young Hawaiian. This loss was preceded by a decision defeat of Frankie Edgar and a knockout loss to Conor McGregor. Aldo is 26-4 overall.
Jeremy Stephens, meanwhile, is currently riding an impressive three-fight streak. This streak is composed of a vicious knockout of Josh Emmett, a thudding TKO of Doo Ho Choi, and a decision defeat of Gilbert Melendez. Stephens’s last losses were decision defeats to Renato Moicano and Frankie Edgar. He’s 25-14 overall.
While nothing is official just yet, it seems likely that this Stephens vs. Aldo bout could serve as the UFC Singapore headliner, as Stephens has headlined two consecutive Fight Night cards, and Aldo rarely fights outside of pay-per-views.
Stay tuned for more details on this targeted Jose Aldo vs. Jeremy Stephens fight, and the larger UFC Singapore card, as they emerge.
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 3/18/2018.