Jose Aldo interested in 'great fight' vs. Sean O'Malley with UFC 307 win

Jose Aldo welcomes the idea of Sean O'Malley after UFC 307.

Aldo (32-8 MMA, 14-7 UFC) meets Mario Bautista (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) on Saturday’s main card (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

Aldo snapped rising contender Jonathan Martinez’s six-fight win streak at UFC 301, and will look to do the same to Bautista. However, the former UFC featherweight champion admits he would have rather been matched up with a more notable name in the division.

“When I asked for a fight, I initially asked for a bigger name,” Aldo told ESPN through an interpreter. “They gave me Jonathan and I humbly accepted that fight and did what I needed to do. For this fight, same thing. I’ve always asked for it, and I humbly accepted and will do my job.”

When the name O’Malley was suggested to him, “The King of Rio” was all for the idea of throwing down against the former champion if he can get past Bautista. O’Malley is coming off a title loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 in September, and underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip on Thursday.

“I think that is a fight, yes, I like,” Aldo said. “I think this is a fight, the two of us, myself and Sean, two people that carry weight, there is a cache to what we do. I think it would be two great names in the division and it would be a great fight. Obviously, I would accept it.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.