The co-main event of the UFC 265 is the bantamweight bout between Jose Aldo and Pedro Munhoz. Two Brazilians find themselves in one very interesting situation. If they win, they are back in contention for the title match. If they lose, well, we won’t see them in the top 10 of the division, or if they even stay, it will be in the lower area. The fans and all the experts are expecting to see a very amusing event because both fighters tend to have a very offensive approach that involves lots of strikes and kicks. It’s no wonder why their respective matches often brought us highlight reels.
Aldo vs. Munhoz Schedule
- Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
- When: Saturday, August 7, 10 pm ET
- How to Watch: ESPN
Aldo vs. Munhoz Odds
| Aldo | Munhoz |
|---|---|
| -140 | +110 |
Crossroad for the King of Rio
It is going up or down for Aldo this time. If he wins, he is still relevant in the UFC. If the opposite happens, one of the best (if not the best) featherweights of all time will sink to the gatekeeper level. That might sound cruel after all those years of his reign, but that is the deal.
Aldo lost three in a row before beating Marlon Vera in December 2020 via unanimous decision and catching a breath of fresh air. His loss in the match for the UFC bantamweight title vs. Petr Yan was brutal, and many believed that it marked the moment when Aldo should have started thinking about his retirement.
Incredibly fast and very powerful with his punches, Aldo is one of those guys who will roll over you in the opening few rounds. If he catches the rhythm, the rivals will experience blows from multiple sides. He is very well tactically endowed, but sometimes knows to start the match a bit more aggressive, which would later see him fade in the finish.
Munhoz’s Last Shot
If Pedro Munhoz loses this fight, then all of his haters will have the ammo to speak that his win over Cody Garbrandt was lucks, and a loss to Frankie Edgar was deserved. Our opinion on the latter case favors Munhoz, who showed an incredible performance against the former lightweight champ.
The Brazilian’s last bout was against Jimmie Rivera, whom he defeated via unanimous decision, avenging a split decision loss from some six and a half years ago, which according to many, slowed down Munhoz’s quest towards the top of the division. Previously, he lost to Edgar and Aljamain Sterling via unanimous decision.
Like Aldo, he too is a strong puncher, with an ability to shake the rival with one precise hit. He is also very good when it comes to moving around the octagon and changing his position in the pocket, and we’ve seen that in the recent few matches.
Aldo vs. Munhoz Prediction
In our humble opinion, Munhoz is closer to a win here because we believe that his cardio is better than Aldo’s. The movement and his ability to force the rival to spend too much energy before hitting him will provide Munhoz the edge here, as Aldo must constantly be in action. That will open a chance for Munhoz to solve the bout in the finish, with the King of Rio being much easier to handle at that stage of the contest.
Pick: Munhoz to win
