Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive returns today to talk all the news in wrestling and MMA including STING going into the WWE Hall of Fame, his future in the ring if it exists, rumors of Conor McGregor and UFC 197 and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Alluded to by UFC President Dana White on UFC Tonight Wednesday, Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter cited multiple sources in reporting Thursday night that UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor will move up in weight to challenge UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in an effort to become the UFC’s first dual belt holder and their third fighter to win belts in two weight classes.
If the report is accurate, the fight will happen at UFC 197 on March 5th in Las Vegas with a co-main event of women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate, a fight that became quite clear after White said that the 10-0 Holm’s next title defense would not be against Ronda Rousey as he had originally said. Holm dominated Rousey to win the title in a shocking upset via 2nd round knockout in November while the 29-year-old Tate (17-5) is riding a four-fight winning streak after downing Jessica Eye in a July unanimous decison win.
White and other UFC officials had previously shot down any other previous champion who said they wanted to move up in weight, win another title, and defend both belts. The 19-2 McGregor, however, has a lot of bargaining power and a fight against the talented but promotionally flat dos Anjos (25-7) is the biggest draw of a fight the champion currently has.
Unfortunately, this also puts a McGregor/Frankie Edgar featherweight title on ice, as well as stunts the next steps for top lightweight contender Tony Ferguson and the winner of January 17th’s Anthony Pettis vs. Eddie Alvarez bout on Fox Sports One.
Regardless, putting these two huge fights on the same show assures the UFC of another big PPV buyrate for the first quarter of the year.
Holm instantly became one of UFC’s biggest stars with a knockout win over Ronda Rousey, winning the bantamweight title. While UFC officials had stated many times that Holm’s first title defense would be a rematch, which would be the biggest money fight in UFC history, the decision was made to give Rousey more time and have Holm defend against Tate. Tate was originally scheduled for the shot at Rousey that Holm got, but it was pulled because UFC officials decided that even though Tate was the top contender and had won a match over Jessica Eye to get the shot, that since Rousey had beaten her twice, they would put Rousey with a new opponent.
It’s virtually a lock that the winner of this fight would face Rousey later in 2016.
2015 was a fun and memorable year in the world of MMA which is why we need two shows to look back at everything that happened!
In part 1 of the 2015 MMA Year in Review, Paul Fontaine of F4WOnline.com and MMADraws.com joins Josh Nason to go over the first six months of the year and the top stories from every month. Here’s just a little of what they talked about on this two-hour supershow that puts Smackdown to shame:
– The highs of Jon Jones (downing Daniel Cormier in January) to his highs getting the worst of him with a hit and run incident that saw him be stripped of the UFC light heavyweight title
– The shocking drug test failure by the legendary Anderson Silva
– The pop culture rocket that was Ronda Rousey and what helped launch her into orbit
– Brock Lesnar choosing WWE over UFC
– Conor McGregor’s big victory in January and the July fight with Jose Aldo being postponed due to injury
– New drug testing procedures, Kimbo vs. Ken, Reebok, and tons more. Join us for a two-hour gabfest about the first half of 2015!
*****
We’re still reeling from all of the implications of last week’s UFC 194 and UFC Fight Night shows. To help clear the fog in the harbour like a giant lighthouse is Sherdog writer and radio host Jordan Breen, who joined Josh Nason’s Punch-Out this week for a full hour.
On this show (free for non-subscribers), Josh & Jordan discussed:
– Jordan’s 10 year anniversary of working for Sherdog that is coming up next year
– What he’d be doing if he wasn’t working in MMA
– Jordan’s pro wrestling watching habits, and how to explain wrestling to someone that has never heard of it before
– His big takeaways from UFC 194
– Whether the UFC has a Conor McGregor problem
– What the most important part of McGregor’s rise to fame truly is
– Why people are focusing on the wrong things when it comes to Luke Rockhold’s win over Chris Weidman
– A riveting game ‘Who Wore It Better?’
– A look ahead to Saturday’s UFC on Fox show in Orlando and what we’re looking forward to
– Whether 2015 is the best year ever for fans of the UFC
– And more!
*****
Listen to the show below by clicking the link or right-click to save:
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer returns today to talk all the news in wrestling and MMA including the death of Lizmark, WWE’s NXT special from London, Smackdown tapings, Raw ratings from Monday night, ROH’s PPV this weekend, Conor McGregor and his huge UFC numbers, questions and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The biggest UFC event of 2015 is headlined by two title fights, two of the most intriguing fights of the year, and possibly the best main/co-main combination the UFC has ever put together. UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo takes on Interim UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor to unify the titles in the main event, and UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman defends against Luke Rockhold. Follow along with our live coverage beginning at 6:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action. We are looking for your thoughts on the show, so send us a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and worst fight to Dave Meltzer.
UFC 194 Weigh-In Results
UFC 194 5 Storylines To Watch
UFC 194 DFS Playbook
UFC 194 Our Picks & Preview
Coverage provided by Dave Meltzer
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT)
WELTERWEIGHTS- COURT MCGEE (16-4, 5-3 UFC) VS. MARCIO ALEXANDRE JR. (11-2, 0-2 UFC)
First round: Former TUF winner in the first of 13 matches. That’s how you know a show is loaded. Body kick by McGee. Left by Alexandre. Body kick by Alexandre landed. McGee gave him an accidental low blow. That was a kick straight through the uprights. Alexandre grabbed a guillotine and pulled guard. McGee out and threw punches. Close round 10-9 Alexandre.
Second round: Body kick by Alexandre and McGee with a low kick. McGee pushed him into the fence. McGee with a body kick. They were in a clinch against the fence and noting has been happening. McGee throwing knees to the thigh. They were separated with 50 seconds left. Body shot by McGee. High kick by Alexandre blocked. Left by Alexandre. Spin kick by McGee barely grazed him. McGee’s round so 19-19 going into the third.
Third round: McGee took him down. Trading body kicks. McGee trying for a takedown but doesn’t have it. McGee can’t take him down but he’s working for it. McGee finally picked him up low and slammed him and is busy from the top. McGee working the body. McGee pounded him out late in the round. 29-28 McGee. First and second rounds were close however, third was the only decisive round.
Scores: 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 for McGee
LIGHTWEIGHTS- JOHN MAKDESSI (13-4, 6-4 UFC) VS. YANCY MEDEIROS (11-3 1 NC, 2-3 1 NC UFC)
First round: Makdessi connecting on low kicks. Medeiros with a solid low kick. Makdessi with a low kick. Left and right by Medeiros. Spin kick by Makdessi. Close round. Makdessi 10-9.
Second round: Makdessi with a body kick. Left uppercut by Medeiros. Head kick by Makdessi. This fight is more like technical sparring than a fight. Nice spin kick by Makdessi just as I wrote that. Left to the body by Makedessi. Low kick,but most blows don’t have a lot of force. Medeiros with a body kick and and a nice right. Side kick by Makedessi. Body shts and side kick by Makedessi. Medeiros went for a takedown but couldn’t get it. Spin kick to the body Medeiros. Left by Medeiros. Medeiros with a right. Another close round. Medeiros’ round so 19-19 going into the third.
Third round: Medeiros with aleft. Medeiros landing jabs. Right by Medeiros. Another jab by Medeiros. Makdessi back with a low kick. Medeiros with a right. Spin kick to the body by Makdessi. Body kick by Medeiros but he was momentarily tripped. Low kick by Makdessi. Medeiros landing the jab. Right by Makdessi. Makdessi with a side kick. Big right by Makdessi . Makdessi landing shots but Medeiros knocked him down. Very close, Medeiros was winning the round early, Makdesssi was really coming on late but that knockdown may have been the difference. All three rounds close. Medeiros 29-28.
Scores: 29-28 Medeiros 29-28 Makdessi 29-28 Medeiros
LIGHTWEIGHTS- JOE PROCTOR (11-3, 4-2 UFC) VS. MAGOMED MUSTAFAEV (12-1, 1-0 UFC)
Magomed Mustafaev (12-1) vs. Joe Proctor (11-3), lw
First round: Mustafaev moving forward. Proctor with a low kick. Proctor in with punches. Mustafaev with punches. Body kick by Mustafaev. Body kick and punches by Mustafaev. Hard knees by Mustafaev. Hard knees by Mustafaev and another knee put him down and its’ over. Proctor’s a tough guy so Mustafaev is clearly legit. 1:54
PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
LIGHTWEIGHTS- LEONARDO SANTOS (14-3-1, 3-0-1 UFC) VS. KEVIN LEE (11-1, 4-1 UFC)
First round: Hard body kick by Alves, Knee to the body by Alves. Covington took him down. Alves grabbed a guillotine, Covington power bombed him, in, but Alves held on and Covington tapped out.
WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS- (#5) TECIA TORRES (6-0, 2-0 UFC) VS. JOCELYN JONES-LYBARGER (6-1, 0-0 UFC)
First round: Huge size difference here. Lybarger much taller and larger. Torres landed some punches. Nice combo by Torres. Left to the jaw by Jones. Right by Jones. Torres now landed. Torres trying for a takedown. Torres 10-9.
Second round: Crowd starting to boo as Jones has Torres pressed against the fence. Now Torres reversed the position. Body kick by Jones. She’s again pressing Torres against the fence. Torres landing punches. Joes went for a takedown but Torres landed on top and is throwing punches on the ground. Now she’s landing elbows. Torres landing hard punches from the top late in the round. Crowd gave Torres a big hand. 20-18 Torres.
Third round: Torres landed some punches. Body kick by Jones as she moved in. Nice right hook by Torres. Torres now landing several punches. She’s turning it on. Torres with hard punches. Now Jones landed a solid right. Head kick by Torres. Crowd really liked this fight. They raised each others’ arms when it was over. The crowd took to Torres. Torres 30-27. Pretty much has to be that score unless you do a 10-8 second round which is possible.
Scores: All three have it 30-27 for Torres.
BANTAMWEIGHTS- (#4) URIJAH FABER (32-8, 8-4 UFC) VS. (#13) FRANKIE SAENZ (11-2, 3-0 UFC)
First round: Trading low kicks. Faber out fast, landed a right and took him down. Faber tried another takedown but Saenz ended up on top. Faber threw a right but it was blocked. Seanz missed pnches. Faber ducked for a takedown but Saenz out of the way. Faber with a left and low kick. Saenz back with an elbow and Faber with an elbow. Seanz with a low kick. Faber wih a knee. Faber failed on a takedown attempt but back up. Saenz landed good shots. Body kick by Saenz. Faber failed on a takedown attempt. But he hit an elbow. Saenz missed a knee. Body kick by Saenz. Faber 10-9.
Second round: Body kick by Faber. Faber landing a ton of elbow and has Saenz in trouble. He’s hurting him with elbows. Saenz surviving some huge right and left elbows. Faber with a hip toss into side control. Saenz reversed to the top. This is a great fight. Crowd gave both a huge hand. Saenz swept his leg and Faber went down. Body kick and punch by Saenz. Saenz with a punch and low kick. Right by Saenz. Low kick by Saenz and another. Faber went for a takedown but Saenz blocked. Faber 20-18 because of the opening flurry but it was Saenz the last half of the round.
Third round: God low kick by Saenz. Body kick by Faber. Body kick by Saenz. Left and right by Faber. Knee by Saenz and another knee. Saenz going for a takedown. Faber blocking. Trading knees from a clinch. Elbow by Faber. Faber with a punch but Saenz fired back. Saenz with a right. Low kick by Saenz. Big right by Faber. Left by Faber. Body kick by Saenz. Faber took him down. Saenz back up. Another takedown by Faber. Crowd gave both a big hand. Really good fight. Close round but I gave it to Saenz, 29-28 Faber.
Scores: 29-28, 29-28 30-27 Faber. Everyone cheered the decision. I thought they’d boo it just because of how much heart Saenz showed.
Faber said he was going after the belt because at the end of the story the good guy wins and that’s me. Rogan said you mean against TJ Dillashaw and Faber said Dillashaw or Dominick Cruz.
MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
FEATHERWEIGHTS- (#5) MAX HOLLOWAY (14-3, 10-3 UFC) VS. (#8) JEREMY STEPHENS (24-11, 11-10 UFC)
First round: Both missing punches. Super hot crowd anyway. Slow open. Both continue to miss punches. Holloway landed a punch. Stephens with a low kick. Holloway with a body kick. Body kick by Holloway. Stephens with a low kick. Holloway missed a punch and Stephens got behind him momentarily. Very close because little happened. Holloway 10-9.
Second round: Holloway tried a spin kick to the body but Stephens blocked it. Crowd is quiet. Stephens going for a takedown. Body punch and uppercut by Stephens. Low kick by Stephens. Holloway with a right. Stephens landed a right. Right by Holloway. Stephens again working for a takedown and can’t get it. Low kick by Stephens. Very close round again. Stephens, so 19-19 after two.
Third round: Holloway took him down. Holloway got behind him, throwing punches and working for a choke. Stephens out of trouble but Holloway is on top. Holloway with an elbow. He got Stephens’ back again and is working for a choke. Stephens back up. Stephens landed some punches. Low kick by Stephens. Holloway with a left. Stephens landed two punches and went for a takedown . Holloway blocking. Spinning elbow by Holloway. Holloway got the takedown. Stephens swinging wildly but mostly missing. Both threw at the fight ended. Holloway 29-28, but this is another close one.
Scores 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 for Holloway
Holloway challenged McGregor at Croke Park and challenged Aldo as well.
WELTERWEIGHTS- (#6) DEMIAN MAIA (21-6, 15-6 UFC) VS. (#12) GUNNAR NELSON (14-1-1, 5-1 UFC)
First round: Nelson got the takedown. Maia back up. Everyone wanted a Tokoro match on the ground here. Maia went for a takedown and Nelson tried to get his neck. Nelson now on top after a Maia takedown attempt. Crowd going crazy for Nelson. He trains in Ireland so he’s honorary Irish. Maia has his back. Maia throwing punches. Maia moved to mount and is punching him. Maia got his back. Maia punching hard from back position as the Brazilians chanted “You’re gonna die.” Maia punching from back position. He’s got Nelson is a body triangle. Maia working for an armbar. Nelson escaped and on top. The place went nuts for that reversal. The place is going crazy for a grappling match. It’s awesome. Maia 10-9.
Second round: Both landed punches. Maia with a takedown and Nelson reversed . Maia now behind him. Maia has his back again. Maia is in the piggy back position with a body triangle. Maia throwing punches from that position. Nelson reversed to the top. Maia reversed to the top. Maia landing elbows. Maia 20-18.
Third round: Maia took him down monentarily. Nelson trying for a guillotine. Maia out of it. Maia with punches and elbows from the top. Maia with elbows. Maia is working for a choke but he can’t get the arm under the chin. Maia gave it up to throw punches. Nelson reversed to the top with 15 seconds left. The crowd liked it and the two guys hugged. Maia easily 30-27.
Scores: 30-26, 30-25 and 30-25.
Maia challenged the Lawler vs. Condit winner.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- (#2) RONALDO SOUZA (22-3 1 NC, 5-0 UFC) VS. (#3) YOEL ROMERO (10-1, 6-0 UFC)
First round: Romero came into the ring and did a roundoff. He’s an athlete at a completely different level from almost anyone in this sport and a lot of others. Traded body kicks. Nice right by Souza. Souza moving forward. Body kick by Souza. Left to the body by Souza. Romero threw a kick but it was checked. Romero landed a hard left. Spinning punch by Romero decked Souza. Romero throwing punches from the top. Romero starting to land good punches on the ground. He’s really weary, however. Romero with punches and elbows. Romero just got out of trouble and more punches. Romero with hard elbows. Souza went for an armbar. Romero got out and got his back and punching. 10-8 Romero
Second round: Body kick by Romero. Left by Romero. Souza went for a takedown. Romero totally holding onto the fence but Souza got him down and Romero reversed. The ref should have called a penalty point for that one. It was too long and too flagrant. Body shot by Souza. Body kick by Romero. Body kick by Souza. Souza landed a right. Romero looks shaky. Body kick by Romero. Body kick by Souza. Body kick by Romero. Souza’s round 19-18 Romero after two.
Third round: Body kick by Souza. Low kick by Souza. Souza missed a kick. Front kick and left by Romero. Souza tried a takedown. He couldn’t get it. Hard left by Romero. Body kick by Souza. Souza landed some good shots. He’s got Romero hurt and took him down. Souza landign punches on the ground. He’s working for ahead and arm choke. Souza with some elbows and punches. Romero back up. Souza’s round so I’ve got 28-28, but if not a 10-8 first then it’s Souza’s fight.
The two hugged after the match and both posed with a “Jesus” flag.
Scores: 29-27 Romero, 29-28 Souza 29-28 Romero. I don’t agree with that decision in the sense Souza won rounds two and three.
UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP- (C) CHRIS WEIDMAN (13-0, 9-0 UFC) VS. (#1) LUKE ROCKHOLD (14-2, 4-1 UFC)
First round: Weidman got a huge positive reaction but no boos for Rockhold. Crowd going nuts and stomping before the match even started. Trading low kicks. Chris jumped on his back right away and got in piggy back position. Rockhold tried to throw him off but Weidman staying out of a bad position. Rockhold has him against the cage. Right by Weidman and he got the takedown. Rockhold back up. Loud let’s go Weidman chant. Elbow by Weidman. Another takedown by Weidman. Rockhold had a guillotine. Weidman motioned like he’s got nothing on it. Herb Dean called a standup. Weird to stand up from there. Hard body kick by Rockhold. Weidman took him down. Rockhold reversed and got another guillotine. Close round. Rockhold 10-9.
Second round: Rockhold landing punches. Hard body kick by Rockhold. . Weidman with a body kick. Both missed punches. Hard body kick by Weidmnan. Head kick by Rockhold. Low kick by Rockhold. Weidnan went for a takedown but Rockhold blocked and landed a body kick. Hard body kick by Rockhold. Weidman went for a takedown but Rockhold blocked and landed a body kick hard. Hard body kick by Rockhold. Another body kick by Rockhold. Weidman missed a kick. Rockhold with a right. Left by Weidamn. Hook kick by Rockhold just missed. High kick by Rockhold. Big right by Rockhold. Best punch of the fight. Right by Rockhold. Left by Rockhold. Body shot by Rockhold. Weidman with a right. Body kick by Wiedman. Body kick by Rockhold. Weidman with low kicks. Rockhold slipped a punch and landed a right. Low kick by Rockhold. Body kick by Weidman hurt him. Rockhold with a left. Rockhold 20-18.
Third round: Body kick by Weidman. Body kick by Rockhold. Body kick by Weidman. Weidman wants a takedown. Rockhold blocked him. Two body kick by Weidmann. Hard left by Weidman and he got the takedown. Rockhold back up. Rockhold with a left, a body kick and a low kick. Another left by Rockhold. Body kick by Weidman. Left and right by Rockhold. Body kick by Weidman. Another body kick by Weidman. Both guys are really tired at this point, slower and more measured. Hard kick by Weidman. Weidman missed a wheel kick and Rockhold took him down and got his back. Rockhold has full mount. Rockhold punching and elbows. Rockhold landing a lot of punches now. Weidman is in big trouble. Rockhold dropping a ton of punches and elbows. Rockhold is killing him with punches. It really should have been stopped. Rockhold 10-8 round for sure, I’ve got 30-26. That should have been stopped and I don’t know if Weidman is getting up from that.
Fourth round: Weidman answered the bell. Body kick by Rockhold. He tried for a takedown but Weidman blocked it. Rockhold got him down. Weidman has several cuts. Rockhold landing punches. Rockhold on top throwing punches again. Herb Dean stopped it and Rockhold is the new champion. 3:12
Rogan with Luke Rockhold. “It’s hard to describe. I can’t believe this is real.”
Rogan with Chris: He says this was Luke’s night, at the end of the the day I’ve got a beautiful family, fans love me, I’ll be back. He said the spin kick wasn’t the smartest move, I wanted to give everything I had, all I can do is work hard.
UFC FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP – (C) JOSE ALDO (25-1, 7-0 UFC) VS. (IC) CONOR MCGREGOR (18-2, 6-0 UFC)
First round: McGregor landed a left and side kick. McGregor knocked him out in seconds. Aldo went for a left as did McGregor, McGregor landed perfectly on the jaw and Aldo went down. Aldo is in tears. :13
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor weigh-ins from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fighters will hit the scale at 6 PM eastern time. The card airs on Saturday with the main card on pay-per-view at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off at 6:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FS1 on 8 PM eastern time with additional preliminary bouts. This event concludes the biggest week in UFC history.
The event will be headlined by two title bouts, and two of the biggest fights of the year. UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo will finally step foot inside the Octagon across from Interim UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor in a bout that has been brewing for over a year. In the co-main event it will be UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman putting the title and his undefeated record on the line against the number one contender, Luke Rockhold. The main card also features a first in UFC history as every fighter on the main card has previously headlined a UFC event.
MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT):
Jose Aldo (145) vs. Conor McGregor (145) – UFC Featherweight Championship
Chris Weidman (185) vs. Luke Rockhold (185) – UFC Middleweight Championship
Ronaldo Souza (186) vs. Yoel Romero (185)
Demian Maia (170) vs. Gunnar Nelson (170)
Max Holloway (146) vs. Jeremy Stephens (145)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):
Urijah Faber (136) vs. Frankie Saenz (135)
Tecia Torres (116) vs. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger (116)
Warlley Alves (171) vs. Colby Covington (170)
Leonardo Santos (156) vs. Kevin Lee (156)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT):
Joe Proctor (155.5) vs. Magomed Mustafaev (155)
John Makdessi (156) vs. Yancy Medeiros (155.5)
Court McGee (170) vs. Marcio Alexandre Jr. (171)
*Over 9,000 in attendance at the MGM Grand for the weigh-ins.
*Loud reaction for Conor McGregor and loud boos for Jose Aldo. Dana White had to keep them apart at the staredown.
*Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold had quite a bit of trash talk during their staredown.
*Urijah Faber got a huge reaction from the crowd based on coaching opposite of Conor McGregor on the most recent season of TUF.
The biggest show of the year ends the UFC’s biggest year on pay-per-view and marks the end of three straight nights of action in Las Vegas, Nevada, home of the UFC. UFC 194 takes place on Saturday night with two title fights headlining one of the deepest cards in company history. The main card comes your way on pay-per-view at 10 PM eastern time following preliminary card action starting at 6:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading to FS1 at 8 PM eastern time.
The most-anticipated fight in UFC featherweight history finally takes place in the main event as long-time UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo takes on his rival, Interim UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor, in a fight that has been over a year in the making. In the co-main event, we have a second title fight as UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman puts his undefeated record on the line in his title defense against the rightful top contender, former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold. Also on the card are numerous ranked fighters including Urijah Faber, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Max Holloway, Gunnar Nelson, Demian Maia, Jeremy Stephens and Yoel Romero. Let’s take a deeper look into this amazing card as we bring you five storylines to keep your eye on at UFC 194 on Saturday night.
1. Can Conor McGregor dethrone Jose Aldo’s reign as the king of the featherweight division?
The fight that has been over a year in the making is finally here after a big false start. The one that all of the fans have been talking about, waiting for, clamoring for. You can argue all you want about whether this is the biggest fight in UFC history, and while it may not be at the very top, it certainly is among the biggest fights in UFC history. It is definitely the biggest fight in the history of the featherweight division, a division that has been dominated since 2009 by UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo. Many have challenged Aldo, some have taken him to the limit, but 18 straight men have fallen victim to him one way or another. Nine straight of those fallen men have come in challenging him for the gold. Through it all, there has been one man wanting, willing, needing to take that championship away from Aldo for good, and he has gotten there by putting down 14 straight men who have been put in his path for gold. That man is Irish superstar Conor McGregor.
After over a year of hype, these two men will finally step foot inside the Octagon across from each other on Saturday night in the UFC 194 main event. When Herb Dean says “let’s fight”, it will finally be on. They were supposed to meet at UFC 189 in July, but Aldo pulled out of the fight two weeks before due to a rib injury. It wasn’t the rib injury that kept him from actually fighting, but it would have likely prevented Aldo from making weight, thus forcing him to pull out. McGregor used this for more ammunition against Aldo, but he was still put with one final task laid out in front of him in the form of Chad Mendes on that July 11 night. No matter the circumstances surrounding how little preparation Mendes had, he still came to fight and controlled the first eight minutes of the fight. McGregor was in positions he had never been in, but he maintained his composure and still did fine work. Mendes gassed out in the second round, and McGregor felt that and finished him in the second round to win the Interim UFC Featherweight Championship.
McGregor is going to have the size advantage over Aldo, with two inches in height and four inches in reach. Aldo is one of the absolute best fighters in the world and has been for a long, long time. He does only have three wins by finish since winning the championship, and one was due to his opponent blowing out his shoulder. He lands a lot of kicks, and he will look to exploit that against McGregor. McGregor will likely let him kick, allowing Aldo some confidence, all while trying to land a counterpunch. Aldo can get hit with counters, and McGregor has some of the best striking in the division. McGregor lands a lot of punches, but he does tend to eat a lot of punches as well. He has shown he has a chin, eating some big right hands from Mendes. Aldo’s ability to vary his strikes between his hands, kicks and knees will play a big factor. Aldo may also go for a takedown, and McGregor can be taken down. Both are effective on the ground.
There is going to be a lot of emotion in this battle. It has been building for a long time. No matter what each may say, they are in the head of each other. Aldo may shrug it off, but he clearly gets more affected by things than McGregor does. There have been rumors that Aldo may be done after this fight, but he has denied that, though any time those talks creep in, you have to worry about mindset. If we are talking about what is best for business, obviously a McGregor win would be huge. He is a superstar whether you like him or not. Everyone has a differing opinion, but the people react to him like he is somebody. His antics, the mouth, the way he is has gotten him the attention, but his fighting has backed it up. It is his chance to put that gold around his waist for good. To do it, he is going to have to beat the best. As they say, to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.
2. Is this just the first fight in what could be a heated rivalry between Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold?
UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman is undefeated in his career, and he did something that Conor McGregor is attempting to do, and that is beat the long-time king of his division. Weidman scored a stunning knockout over Anderson Silva at UFC 162 in July 2013 to become the champion at 185 pounds. He defended the title over Silva in a rematch five months later, had a classic battle in winning a decision over Lyoto Machida in July 2014, and, most recently, scored a convincing stoppage of Vitor Belfort at UFC 187 in May. Injuries have slowed Weidman from being an active champion as this is only his seventh fight since the calendar turned to the year 2012. At 13-0, Weidman is on the way to being an all-time great, and all-time greats often have a defined career rival. Weidman may have found his in Luke Rockhold.
Rockhold has earned his title opportunity on the heels of four straight stoppage wins, scoring wins over Machida, Michael Bisping, Tim Boetsch and Costas Philippou. He is a former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion and has won 13 of his last 14 fights, with the lone blemish being to a TRT-ridden Belfort. He is the second best fighter at 185 pounds behind Weidman, and may be the man that can turn Weidman’s loss column from zero to one. These two are closely matched and extremely well-rounded. Weidman has a lot of power and can end a fight with one punch, and he has strong wrestling to back it up, with good top position and underrated submissions. Rockhold is a pressure fighter and moves well on his feet, has good takedown defense, and can fight on the ground and off of his back as well. Rockhold has better conditioning of the two.
When it comes to that conditioning, Rockhold is a fighter that cuts a lot of weight. He is a huge middleweight. Weidman is a huge middleweight as well, but he approached this fight differently in being the lightest of his career. He weighed 192 pounds weeks away from the fight, and doesn’t have to do that huge cut he normally does. It should help his conditioning, and that is something that will be needed. Rockhold is going to push the pace with his aggressiveness, and it will be Weidman’s toughest fight to date. It will also be Rockhold’s toughest fight to date. These two men are so evenly matched that if they fought 20 times, they’d probably each win ten. Both have very few weaknesses. In what will likely be the first of many battles, I see Rockhold’s footwork and defense being the key difference in this one. It may get the best of Weidman this time, but they are on their way to being career rivals, and this likely won’t be the last time they fight.
3. Who finds themselves as the next contender at 185 pounds when Ronaldo Souza and Yoel Romero square off?
In a fight that has been brewing for quite some time, middleweights Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Yoel Romero will finally fight after seeing prior bookings between the two being cancelled twice due to injuries to both men. Since the two were originally scheduled to meet in February at UFC 184, they have each fought once. Souza scored a submission win over Chris Camozzi in April after Camozzi replaced Romero, who pulled out due to injury. Romero had the bigger win in scoring a super impressive knockout win over Lyoto Machida in June. Both have firmly established themselves as the top two men at 185 pounds behind Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold, and UFC 194 on Saturday night is being set up as a mini-tournament at middleweight, with the winner of both fights likely to square off next barring the need for a rematch between the Weidman and Rockhold winner.
Both men have some age on them, with Souza being 36 and Romero being 38, and this may be the last time either man has the chance to secure a title shot. They both have decorated backgrounds from where they came from. Souza is a world champion in jiu-jitsu, and Romero is an Olympic medalist in wrestling. Both men have muscular frames, though recent pictures have shown Souza has lost a little bit of size, whether it be due to drug testing or to the elimination of IV’s. When it comes to the fight, Romero is more explosive and has better movement on the feet. The grappling battle will probably be negated as both have strengths, but in the event it goes down, the submission game belongs to Souza. This is a big toss-up but I do see Romero’s power, his ability to pressure a fight and win in the clinch, where Souza struggles, being the different in edging a close decision.
4. Demian Maia and Gunnar Nelson have an interesting battle in front of them. Who takes it?
A big way to tell how stacked this card is the placement of a welterweight bout between Demian Maia and Gunnar Nelson. This could main event a lot of Fight Night cards but is finding itself on the biggest card of the year in what should be a very competitive grappling battle. Maia’s grappling credentials are well-known and he has won three straight fights heading into UFC 194 on Saturday. Nelson is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with a 14-1-1 record, and 13 wins by stoppage, with ten coming by submission. He is an excellent striker with a background in karate and is very adept at closing the distance. Training alongside Conor McGregor has him fully prepared for a striking battle, and his grappling experience has him primed for a ground battle.
This is going to be an interesting battle between two grappling wizards. Maia is the better wrestler of the two, and Nelson is the better striker of the two. Maia works excellently from the top and Nelson works well both on top and bottom. Nelson has better ground-and-pound and is more aggressive than Maia when he has opponents on their backs. Nelson closes well on his feet and has some big power in his hands, but he does leave his hands down and opens himself up for counterstrikes. Maia is not someone who will knockout Nelson, but he will use his boxing to set up the trips and takedowns. This is a tough fight to call and an interesting one to boot. It could turn into a boring and methodical affair, though, and if one makes a mistake, the other will exploit it. I lean toward favoring Nelson due to his striking in what will be a close contest.
5. Is this the best card of all time?
UFC 194 is the card of the year, and it may very well be the best card of all time. All ten of the main card competitors are ranked inside the top 12 of their respective divisions, and we have a handful of ranked fighters competing on the preliminary card. Rounding out the main card is an excellent featherweight bout between Max Holloway and Jeremy Stephens. Holloway has been on quite the rise at 145 pounds, having won seven straight fights to make himself a legitmate title contender. He gets another tough opponent in Stephens, who has vicious knockout power and is coming off a knockout win over Dennis Bermudez in one of the best fights of 2015 at UFC 189 in July.
Urijah Faber headlines the preliminary card, moving back down to 135 pounds and taking on Frankie Saenz, winner of seven straight fights. While not the highest-profile bout for Faber, he has two straight wins at 135 pounds, and finds himself on a collision course for a fight against former teammate T.J. Dillashaw. If Faber and Dillashaw both win their fights, that is expected to be the next title fight at 135 pounds. In women’s strawweight action, undefeated Tecia Torres takes on RFA champion Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger, making her UFC debut on short notice as an injury replacement for Michelle Waterson. The card also features three former “TUF” winners. Warlley Alves puts his undefeated record on the line against another undefeated fighter, Colby Covington. Leonardo Santos takes on rising lightweight Kevin Lee, who has won four straight fights. Finally, Court McGee returns from a two-year layoff to take on Marcio Alexandre Jr. This is a deep card with a lot of fun fights on Saturday night.
Full UFC 194 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions
MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
UFC Featherweight Championship: (C) Jose Aldo vs. (IC) Conor McGregor
Betting Odds: Aldo (-105), McGregor (-115)
Prediction: McGregor by knockout in round 3
UFC Middleweight Championship: (C) Chris Weidman vs. (#1) Luke Rockhold
Betting Odds: Weidman (-135), Rockhold (+115)
Prediction: Rockhold by decision
Middleweights: (#2) Ronaldo Souza vs. (#3) Yoel Romero
Betting Odds: Souza (-150), Romero (+130)
Prediction: Romero by decision
Welterweights: (#6) Demian Maia vs. (#12) Gunnar Nelson
Betting Odds: Maia (-115), Nelson (-105)
Prediction: Nelson by decision
Featherweights: (#5) Max Holloway vs. (#8) Jeremy Stephens
Betting Odds: Holloway (-550), Stephens (+425)
Prediction: Holloway by decision
PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
Bantamweights: (#4) Urijah Faber vs. (#13) Frankie Saenz
Betting Odds: Faber (-750), Saena (+525)
Prediction: Faber by submission in round 2
Women’s Strawweights: (#5) Tecia Torres vs. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger
Betting Odds: Torres (-300), Jones-Lybarger (+250)
Prediction: Torres by decision
Welterweights: Warlley Alves vs. Colby Covington
Betting Odds: Alves (+100), Covington (-120)
Prediction: Alves by decision
Lightweights: Leonardo Santos vs. Kevin Lee
Betting Odds: Santos (+500), Lee (-700)
Prediction: Lee by knockout in round 3
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT)
Lightweights: Joe Proctor vs. Magomed Mustafaev
Betting Odds: Proctor (+305), Mustafaev (-365)
Prediction: Mustafaev by decision
Lightweights: John Makdessi vs. Yancy Medeiros
Betting Odds: Makdessi (-165), Medeiros (+145)
Prediction: Medeiros by decision
Welterweights: Court McGee vs. Marcio Alexandre Jr.
Betting Odds: McGee (-175), Alexandre Jr. (+155)
Prediction: McGee by submission in round 2