UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will make the first defense of his belt when he squares off with interim titleholder Max Holloway.
The only thing is, we don’t know when or where the fight will take place.
UFC president Dana White, during Friday’s edition of the 5ive Rounds podcast, confirmed that Aldo and Holloway agreed to the fight last week. He couldn’t, however, remember for what event the bout would take place.
“(Aldo) is going to fight Max Holloway,” White said. “That fight’s done, too. I don’t remember what date it’s on for, but yeah it’s done. It’s a done deal. We got that fight done last week.”
The UFC’s next three pay-per-view events after Saturday’s UFC 208 already have championship headliners scheduled. UFC 209 features Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson in welterweight rematch, Daniel Cormier returns from injury to put the light heavyweight belt on the line against Anthony Johnson at UFC 210, and a heavyweight title fight headlines UFC 211 when champion Stipe Miocic rematches Junior dos Santos.
That makes UFC 212 the likely target for Aldo vs. Holloway. UFC 212 is slated for June 3 at HSBC Arena in Aldo’s home country of Brazil.
It would mark the first fight for Aldo since the UFC elevated him from interim featherweight champion to full titleholder after forcing Conor McGregor to relinquish the belt without ever defending it. Aldo won the interim title by defeating Frankie Edgar last July at UFC 200. Holloway earned the new interim designation with a third-round TKO stoppage of Anthony Pettis at UFC 206 in December.
“That’s a fun fight,” added White. “Holloway has looked incredible in his last few fights, and Jose Aldo is Jose Aldo.”
