The 31-year-old Brazilian landed a vicious shot to the liver on Stephens late in the first round and the former champion pounced, landing a number of shots until the referee intervened. Aldo’s victory snapped a two-fight losing streak.
During the UFC Calgary post-fight press conference, Aldo was asked for his ideal return date and the Brazilian said his preference would to be on another Canadian card this December for UFC 231 to be held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (via MMA Junkie):
“For me, it would be very special, and it makes sense,” he said. “It’s enough time for me to rest a little bit. The big thing is to get back home, rest a little bit and figure out where we go from here. But it is a very good option.”
Aldo made his much anticipated UFC debut in Toronto at UFC 129 in April 2011 against Mark Hominick in front of a record-breaking 55,000 fans at The Rodgers Center. The reigning World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion defended his belt that night to capture the first ever UFC featherweight title which he held until December 2015 following a loss to Conor McGregor.