Jose Aldo Misses Weight At UFC 315 — Fight Saved By Sudden Switch
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - MAY 09: Jose Aldo of Brazil poses on the scale during the UFC 315 official ... More weigh-in at the Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel on May 09, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Jose Aldo could be done competing at 135 pounds. The UFC Hall of Famer and former featherweight champion was set to miss weight by a wide margin ahead of his fight on Saturday against Aiemann Zahabi in Montreal at UFC 315.
However, with the fight at stake and Aldo unable to safely cut any more weight, a deal was struck between Aldo, the UFC, and Zahabi to fight at featherweight with a 145-pound limit. Originally, Aldo and Zahabi were supposed to fight at bantamweight, but due to the weight-cut issues, the UFC was forced to pivot or cancel the fight.
Here is a look at the official weigh-in results and the finalized card for Saturday's pay-per-view:
Date: May 10, 2025Location: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
*Bruno Silva missed the middleweight limit by one pound. The fight proceeds at catchweight. He forfeits 20% of his purse.
**Daniel Santos initially missed weight but successfully made weight on his second attempt.
Ian Machado Garry weighed in at 168 pounds as the official backup fighter for the main event.
According to The Uncrowned's Ariel Helwani, the UFC changed Aldo-Zahabi to featherweight because Aldo couldn't get down to 136. Aldo didn't look healthy when he took the scales.
Saturday's fight is a big one for Aldo. The Brazilian still hopes to reach contender status at bantamweight, but if he cannot make the weight anymore, he'll be forced to explore other options.
While Saturday's fight is at featherweight, it is tough to imagine the legend having another successful run in that weight class.
For Zahabi, it behooved him to take the fight at featherweight. The bout is taking place in his home country, and he will have tons of fan support. He also has the opportunity to defeat a legend—even if it is a compromised one.
Also, the UFC has generally been favorable to fighters who compromise and are willing to keep fights alive. Zahabi could have opted out, but there may have been some concern about how it would look if he cost the promotion a big fight on the main card of a pay-per-view.
As it is, Zahabi will be expected to win, but now part of the intrigue is around the state Aldo will be in for what could be a pivotal fight in the rest of his career.
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