UFC 194, UFC Fight Night 80, The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale. Pay-per-view, cable TV, Fight Pass online. The weekend on which we are about to embark is unprecedented in its sheer density. This is a super-massive black hole in the center of MMA in 2015.
Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo, for the undisputed featherweight title, is the main event of not only UFC 194, but the entire weekend. And it’s only one of two title fights, with Chris Weidman defending his middleweight strap against Luke Rockhold in Saturday’s co-main event.
But there are so many great matchups across these three events, all of which go down in Las Vegas. There are 31 UFC bouts total this weekend from Thursday’s Fight Night 80 all the way through Saturday’s big pay-per-view showstopper.
Keeping up with those 31 fights might be pretty overwhelming. So, with that in mind, let us now delve beyond the main events and beyond the headlines to find the 10 best fights of this long UFC weekend (and a few honorable mentions to boot).
Consider this your overarching guide to the action. These are the must-see engagements. They are ranked based on the stakes involved and the records and skill sets of the fighters.