Aldo, 7 Fights Official for UFC 129

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UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will return to the cage at UFC 129.

The promotion on Thursday officially announced Aldo's participation on the card, along with four additional bouts to be contested on April 30 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Phil Davis will meet a fellow standout wrestler in a light heavyweight affair, as the former Nittany Lion clashes with “The Ultimate Fighter” alum Matt Hamill. Also slated for the event is a pair of welterweight bouts, as Canadian Sean Pierson meets H.I.T. Squad product Brian Foster and former contender Jason MacDonald squares off with veteran Ryan Jensen. Additionally, submission ace Mark Bocek will lock horns with former WEC lightweight king Benson Henderson.

UFC 129 will be headlined by a welterweight title showdown, as champion Georges St. Pierre puts his belt on the line against No. 1 contender Jake Shields. Though not officially announced by the promotion, the show is also expected to contain a contest between two former 205-pound champions, as UFC hall of famer Randy Couture toes the line against Brazilian karateka Lyoto Machida.

Aldo was last seen competing at WEC 51 in September. The Nova União product finished challenger Manny Gamburyan early in the second frame, knocking out the stout judoka with vicious ground-and-pound. The once-beaten Brazilian is on an 11-fight winning streak and holds notable victories over former champions Urijah Faber and Mike Thomas Brown. Aldo was supposed to make his promotional debut at UFC 125 on New Year's Day against Josh Grispi, but the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt suffered an injury to his neck and was forced to withdraw.

Though Aldo does not yet have an opponent for the event, UFC President Dana White announced this week that if Mark Hominick gets by George Roop at UFC “Fight for the Troops 2,” he would be next in line for a shot at Aldo's title.