• UFC 153

Jose Aldo v Erik Koch rescheduled for UFC 153

ESPN staff
July 19, 2012
Jose Aldo was forced to pull out of the first fight with Erik Koch © Getty Images
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A verbal agreement is in place for UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo to defend his belt on October 13 against Erik Koch in Rio de Janeiro. The fight will headline UFC 153 at the HSBC Arena.

Aldo, winner of 14 straight, including five defences of the WEC 145-pound title, originally was scheduled to face Koch this weekend in Calgary. However, the 25-year-old Brazilian was forced to withdraw due to a leg injury.

Aldo last fought in January, scoring a first-round stoppage of Chad Mendes in the same building he will entertain Koch.

Koch, 23, steps into the title fight with a 13-1 record. The lanky American has won four in a row after suffering the lone defeat of his career to Mendes in 2010. By the time he steps into the cage with Aldo (21-1), Koch will have been out of action for 13 months.

Rampage Jackson is scheduled to fight Glover Teixeira in a light-heavyweight contest on the card.

This article first appeared on ESPN.com

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