Report: Jose Aldo, Ricardo Lamas Agree in Principle to Rematch at Unnamed December UFC Card

A hotly-rumored matchup appears one step closer to actualization.

Brazilian media outlet Combate reported on Monday that former Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight champion Jose Aldo and one of his previous title challengers, Ricardo Lamas, have agreed in principle to a rematch. According to the report, both men and their management have agreed to a second meeting in December, though no date and event have been set yet.

Aldo and Lamas previously met in February 2014 at UFC 169 from Newark, N.J., where the Brazilian used his superior leg kicks to earn a five-round unanimous decision and retain his title. Aldo last fought this past June at UFC 212 in Rio de Janeiro, where he was knocked out in the third round by Max Holloway for the UFC featherweight crown. Since his own loss to Holloway in June 2016, Lamas has finished Charles Oliveira and Jason Knight in impressive fashion.

The 31-year-old Aldo has kept his name in the media since his loss to Holloway, claiming both that he wants to fight before 2017 closes out as well as revealing his desire to have professional boxing matches. Original reports suggested the UFC was targeting Aldo to rematch Cub Swanson at UFC 217 at New York's Madison Square Garden on Nov. 4, but the opponent choice quickly turned to Lamas instead. The Combate report stated that when “The Bully” requested more time to prepare for a second Aldo encounter, the timeline shifted to December.

“Aldo wants to fight,” the Brazilian's trainer Andre Pederneiras told MMAJunkie two weeks ago. “And the last thing he heard from my mouth was that it could be Ricardo Lamas and it could be either Nov. 4 or December. So we’re waiting.”

The UFC presently has five cards scheduled for December: “The Ultimate Fighter 16” Finale on Dec. 1 in Las Vegas; UFC 218 in Detroit; UFC Fight Night 123 on Dec. 9 in Fresno, Calif.; UFC on Fox 26 from Winnipeg, Manitoba on Dec. 16; and UFC 219 to close the year on Dec. 30 back in Sin City.