Rankings Shakeup: Is Jose Aldo as soon as once more a top-5 bantamweight after UFC 301?

Jose Aldo picked up proper the place he left off.

Regardless of taking a 21-month sabbatical to get inducted into the UFC Corridor of Fame and check out his boxing prowess, “The King of Rio” regarded as sharp as ever on Saturday, outclassing Jonathan Martinez in a pillar-to-post victory in UFC 301’s co-main occasion. Aldo is now the most well liked free agent in MMA with a wealth of choices seemingly in entrance of him, each inside the sport and out of doors of it in boxing. The one factor for sure is that Aldo is clearly not done yet — at age 37, he spoke overtly at Saturday’s evening post-fight press convention about entertaining the concept of one other run towards the UFC bantamweight title.

However now that he’s again, is Aldo instantly a top-five bantamweight on the earth?

Survey says…

It was a detailed race, however finally MMA Preventing’s seven-person voting panel slotted Aldo simply outdoors of the highest 5, debuting him again at No. 6 within the aftermath of UFC 301. Nonetheless, that’s nothing to sneeze at. Aldo was our No. 5 ranked bantamweight when he retired from MMA in August 2022, and 21 months later, he’s primarily held his spot regardless of the division having been turned upside-down by the twin rises of Sean O’Malley and Patchy Mix.

It doesn’t harm that Aldo’s résumé at 135 kilos nonetheless holds robust — he owns large wins over Marlon Vera, Pedro Munhoz, Rob Font, and now Martinez, and his solely losses since 2020 have are available aggressive bouts in opposition to top-five contenders Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan.

So what do you assume, MMA Preventing trustworthy? Did we get this proper? Did we get this improper? Is Brazil’s ageless surprise nonetheless among the many elite of the elite at 135 kilos?

Vote within the polls (bonus ballot!) and tell us within the feedback beneath.