Tag: UFC 194

UFC 194 Results: Max Holloway Outclasses Jeremy Stephens to Win 8th Straight

UFC 194 saw Max Holloway continue to cruise and add names to his resume. The Hawaiian kicked off Saturday’s main card with a solid, albeit quiet, win over tricky veteran Jeremy Stephens. 
If you’ve ever seen Stephens fight before, you can imagine …

UFC 194 saw Max Holloway continue to cruise and add names to his resume. The Hawaiian kicked off Saturday’s main card with a solid, albeit quiet, win over tricky veteran Jeremy Stephens. 

If you’ve ever seen Stephens fight before, you can imagine how he approached Holloway. Stephens quickly got to work as the aggressor in the first round, throwing wild leg kicks and looking for an opening for his devastating overhand right. Holloway was able to escape danger each and every time, peppering him at range and expertly escaping his clinch attack with impressive consistency. That, for the most part, would be the story of the fight.

The second round saw Holloway open up more with his arsenal of strikes. Stephens continued pressing forward, but Holloway made the most of the opportunities Stephens gave him. Between rounds, Stephens’ corner implored him to raise his output and go for the finish. Alas, that would not come to pass.

Near the start of the final frame, Holloway landed a nice trip and got Stephens to the ground. Holloway would advance to mount and back mount, threatening a variety of submissions, but he wasn’t able to lock anything up. Stephens exploded back to his feet and managed to get right back to pressing forward but landing virtually nothing.

When the scorecards were read, Holloway got the unanimous nod to the tune of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.

After a rocky 3-3 to his career, Holloway broke off a stellar four-fight winning streak in 2014, with each win coming via stoppage. In 2015, though, he cemented his place as a Top 10 name by dominating former contender and at-the-time Top Five fighter Cub Swanson. Now, it’s getting harder and harder to ignore Holloway’s place in the featherweight title picture.

Here are some notes and thoughts from this fight:

  • Holloway continues to improve by the fight. That’s darn awesome since he’s already entrenched in the Top 10. 
  • To his credit, he called out both Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo when he got his hands on the microphone. That’s a smart move, given how Frankie Edgar was poised to eclipse him with his knockout of Chad Mendes on Friday.
  • Stephens (29) is really starting to show his age at this point. He remains a solid fighter at 145 pounds, but when you look at the Stephens who destroyed Rony Jason, he definitely seems to have lost some momentum.
  • While it would be nice to see Holloway get a title shot, it’s almost certainly not going to happen anytime soon. If McGregor wins, he will probably have to face Aldo again in a rematch. If Aldo wins, the UFC will likely go with Edgar in the rematch, given Holloway’s lack of name value.

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UFC 194 Results: Brazilians Get off to a Hot Start with 2 Impressive Finishes

The Brazilians got off to a hot start at UFC 194 on Saturday.
Leonardo Santos (15-3, 1 NC) cashed in as the second biggest underdog on the stellar UFC 194 fight card.
Santos entered at plus-400 on the MGM Grand sportsbook, just behind plus-425 und…

The Brazilians got off to a hot start at UFC 194 on Saturday.

Leonardo Santos (15-3, 1 NC) cashed in as the second biggest underdog on the stellar UFC 194 fight card.

Santos entered at plus-400 on the MGM Grand sportsbook, just behind plus-425 underdog Frankie Saenz.

Opposite of Santos in the cage was rising star Kevin Lee (11-2). He entered with all the hype following his four-fight win streak inside the Octagon. The young gun came in at minus-600, the biggest favorite on the card, as the lines closed.

Santos leveled Lee in the first round and finished with more strikes on the ground. His strike-heavy performance was a departure, as he is primarily a submission specialist. After the fight, Santos told Joe Rogan that he was thinking about the choke but kept up with the punishment he was already delivering.

Santos leaped from the cage and took off running in celebration. The big win on a big stage sent the adrenaline rushing through his body.

The next bout kept the night rolling for the Brazilians.

Warlley Alves (10-0) took out Colby Covington (8-1) in the first round as well. He did so with a guillotine despite his dangerous striking. Alves and Santos effectively switched roles for UFC 194.

Covington left his head out, and Alves tightened the guillotine quickly like a boa. The submission kept his record clean and will push him forward as one of the hottest prospects at welterweight, a division full of killers.

Alves made a mark in winning the third season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, and he continues onward with another outstanding performance.

Both Santos and Alves are making marks in their respective divisions as forces to be reckoned with, but only time will tell how far they can go in the deep waters of the UFC. If they accomplished nothing else, aside from getting win bonuses, they fired up the Brazilian contingent in the MGM Grand Garden Casino in the early stages of UFC 194 with two spectacular finishes.

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Conor McGregor’s Irish Fans Shut Down Part of Las Vegas Blvd. Ahead of UFC 194

What do you get when you combine Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor and Las Vegas? Irish MMA fans conquering the Strip, that’s what. 
Friday’s UFC 194 weigh-ins were packed full of Irish fans coming out to support McGregor, and when the ceremony was t…

What do you get when you combine Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor and Las Vegas? Irish MMA fans conquering the Strip, that’s what. 

Friday’s UFC 194 weigh-ins were packed full of Irish fans coming out to support McGregor, and when the ceremony was through, they flooded Las Vegas Boulevard to a standstill. 

Onlookers shot plenty of videos of the rowdy crowd waving flags and angering motorists. Naturally, that footage found its way onto social media:

Raucous Irish fans have been a big part of the buildup to Aldo vs. McGregor. From the crowds that turned out for McGregor’s fight in Boston, Massachusetts, opposite Dennis Siver to the infamous belt-swiping press conference in Dublin, Ireland, to the last-minute changes to UFC 189, McGregor supporters have made their presence felt in a big way over the last 12 months. 

Basically every function ahead of UFC 194 has seen some level of fan interruption. There were more than a few “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants at the UFC Fight Night 80 and The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale fight cards, and the Holly Holm question-and-answer session…well, the less said about that, the better.

In all likelihood, things will settle down after the two face off Saturday night at UFC 194. If McGregor wins, though, expect this to become a regular sight for the UFC going forward. 

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Aldo vs. McGregor: UFC 194 Main Event Odds, Predictions, Tale of the Tape

Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor will clash in the main event at UFC 194 Saturday night, and the stakes couldn’t be much higher, as the UFC Featherweight title will be on the line.
Aldo and McGregor are as evenly matched as any two fighters in recent memor…

Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor will clash in the main event at UFC 194 Saturday night, and the stakes couldn’t be much higher, as the UFC Featherweight title will be on the line.

Aldo and McGregor are as evenly matched as any two fighters in recent memory, as they are on a combined 32-fight winning streak. Despite their recent dominance, something has to give when they lock horns in Las Vegas.

Ahead of the highly anticipated champion versus interim champion clash, here is a closer look at the matchup, along with predictions for who will reign supreme at the end of the night.

 

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas

When: Saturday, Dec. 12 at 10 p.m. ET (main card start time)

Watch: Pay-per-view

 

Current Odds

 

Tale of the Tape (courtesy of ESPN on Twitter)

 

Aldo vs. McGregor Predictions

Neither Aldo nor McGregor have separated themselves significantly in the eyes of the oddsmakers, which is what makes the prospect of their fight so exciting.

Both combatants have been dominant over the course of their respective careers with only three losses between them, and neither has suffered a defeat in UFC.

Aldo is the only official featherweight champion UFC has ever had, which is one of the biggest mental hurdles McGregor must clear.

Despite that, the Irishman believes he has the edge in that department, and can’t envision a scenario in which his Brazilian opponent beats him, according to UFC Europe:

In fact, McGregor doesn’t think Aldo has any real interest in facing him, per Damon Martin of FoxSports.com:

I feel he feels like he’s handcuffed and forced into this. He doesn’t want to be here. I feel the man is forced to do this. That’s what I feel. I feel he’s confused, he doesn’t know where he is, he doesn’t know what’s going on, he just can’t wait for it to be over. That’s what I’ve seen when I looked at him yesterday.

Even so, Aldo seemed quite charged up during his stare-down with McGregor at weigh-in, as he taunted the man who usually portrays himself as the aggressor, as seen in this video courtesy of UFC:

In addition to his aggressiveness during the pre-fight festivities, Aldo made it clear that he intends to put the pressure on McGregor during the bout itself.

According to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, Aldo doesn’t have any plans to shy away despite McGregor‘s immense striking power:

“That’s my style,” Aldo said. “There’s no reason to change it. I’m going to be moving forward like I’ve always done.”

Aldo’s style has been very kind to him over the years, but it may turn out to be a disadvantage against a fighter of McGregor‘s caliber.

Of McGregor‘s 18 career victories, 16 have come by way of knockout. Aldo is more apt to go the distance, but that may not be possible if he presses the issue too much.

It seems as though Aldo wants to impose his will on the boisterous McGregor, but that strategy will likely play right into the challenger’s hands.

Based on that, look for McGregor to stop Aldo with a third-round knockout and become just the second featherweight champion in UFC history in the process.

 

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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UFC 194 Start Time: Full Card, TV Info, Live Stream, Aldo vs. McGregor Picks

Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo will finally settle their long-standing score in Las Vegas on Saturday evening, as they square off at UFC 194 in a featherweight unification bout.
The showdown between the two tops a bill that is packed with quality contest…

Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo will finally settle their long-standing score in Las Vegas on Saturday evening, as they square off at UFC 194 in a featherweight unification bout.

The showdown between the two tops a bill that is packed with quality contests, including the middleweight title encounter between champion Chris Weidman and exciting challenger Luke Rockhold. It means those in attendance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena will be in for a spectacular night of action.

Here’s a look at the key viewing details ahead of this one, including the start time, TV information and live stream details. There’s also a rundown of the card in full and a closer look at who is likely to triumph in the marquee bouts of the night.

Date: Saturday, Dec. 12

Start Time: Main card begins at 7 p.m. (Local), 10 p.m. (ET), 3 a.m (BST, Dec. 13)

TV Info: BT Sport (UK), AT & T (U.S.)

Live Stream: BT Sport website (UK), UFC TV 

 

Weidman vs. Rockhold

This fight between the two finest middleweights on the planet would usually be prestigious enough to solely headline a pay-per-view event, but Weidman and Rockhold will have to make do with sharing the spotlight. That’s unlikely to take much away from what should be an intriguing head-to-head between two fighters at the peak of their powers, though. 

As UFC reporter Simon Head noted, these two men should give the fans a tremendous appetiser ahead of the one everyone seems to be talking about:

Rockhold, after losing to Vitor Belfort back in 2013, has made encouraging progress in his four fights since, culminating with an impressive win over Lyoto Machida back in April. Weidman, who has won all 13 of his professional MMA matches, is a hugely impressive champion, having twice beaten the great Anderson Silva, Belfort and Machida most recently.

It’s a fight that is likely to have everything. Both of these competitors have broad skill sets, have momentum behind them and have proved they can thrive on the big stage. For Weidman, a tag of “all-time great” awaits if he can get over the line, while Rockhold can enrich his own glittering reputation if he can become the first man to topple the champion.

Comedy actor Kevin James is backing Weidman to continue showing his championship calibre in this one:

The co-main event is difficult to call, but the champion seems to have a slender edge. Throughout his time in the UFC, he’s showcased an adaptability in the manner he’s faced opponents, and while Rockhold has a mean defence, Weidman should have enough to find a way around it and grab a foothold in the contest.

Prediction: Weidman

 

 

Aldo vs. McGregor

The hype ahead of this one has gone into overdrive in the days preceding fight night, with MMA fans seemingly split down the middle on which man will come out on top.

Having had an earlier bout called off, the excitement ahead of this showdown has reached feverish levels, especially after McGregor affirmed his status as an elite competitor with an emphatic victory over Chad Mendes. After an embittered build-up, we’ll finally get an answer to what has been a question long asked in MMA circles.

As MMA History Today noted recently, for all the mind games, this is a contest that should make for an aesthetic spectacle:

The Irishman has plenty of impetus behind him coming into this contest and has been unshakeably confident in the build-up. Indeed, McGregor has stated that he is unsure whether Aldo will get up from his stool for the second bell, promising to put in a “masterclass” performance in front of the watching world.

Aldo, unbeaten in professional fights for over a decade, will seek to slow the pace and dominate the middle of the Octagon. But McGregor is one of the most dynamic opponents he has faced in his career so far and will press to push the iconic Brazilian onto the back foot.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden feels that whether McGregor can execute this tactic will ultimately determine who comes out on top:

McGregor needs to fight smart. If he marches forward recklessly, Aldo has the quality to pick him off and dominate the bout from there. The Irishman must use his superior reach to fight at length and keep Aldo guessing in the early stages; if he can create indecision in the mind of his opponent, and that’s when he’ll seek to land those devastating left hands.

Prediction: McGregor

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UFC 194: Latest Aldo vs. McGregor Fight Card Predictions and Projected Winners

UFC 194 is finally upon us. One of the best cards of the year will see Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor face off in a featherweight title bout, preceded by a highly anticipated fight between middleweight champion Chris Weidman and the dangerous Luke Rockho…

UFC 194 is finally upon us. One of the best cards of the year will see Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor face off in a featherweight title bout, preceded by a highly anticipated fight between middleweight champion Chris Weidman and the dangerous Luke Rockhold.

There are five bouts on the main card, which is set to start at 10 p.m. ET, per MMA Mania’s Jesse Holland. Other notable fights include the middleweight battle between Yoel Romero and Ronaldo Souza and a meeting of skilled grapplers Demian Maia and Gunnar Nelson. 

Here’s a look at the schedule for the PPV main card, as well as the projected winners and some predictions:

 

Aldo vs. McGregor

Arguably the most anticipated MMA fight of the year, defending featherweight champion Aldo and interim champion McGregor will finally come face-to-face on Saturday, five months after their scheduled meeting at UFC 189.

Aldo dropped out of that fight with an injury, opening the door for McGregor to win the interim title with a second-round TKO of Chad Mendes. Since then, the Irishman has waged a verbal war on the defending champion, and the buildup to this fight has taken on epic proportions.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden is impressed:

Aldo has been undefeated since 2005 and has held the featherweight title since the UFC and WEC merged in 2010, per ESPN.com. There’s little doubt he has been one of the organisation’s most dominant fighters for years now, beating the likes of Mendes, Frankie Edgar and Urijah Faber.

He’s a master of the kicking game, highly skilled on the floor and almost impossible to cut off once he starts moving. There’s a reason Aldo’s only loss came via submission―if a fight goes the distance, his superior technique will see him prevail on the cards.

McGregor is a technically skilled fighter as well, but he’s nowhere near Aldo’s level. The 27-year-old relies on his raw power and creativity inside the Octagon, and so far, it has served him well.

As reported by Rolling Stone‘s Mike Bohn, he’s more than confident in his own abilities:

This fight will be decided by the four-minute mark of the first round. Anything beyond that will be a mere formality. I just don’t see him answering the bell for the second round. I can’t see his face or his body at the beginning of the second round. I see him KO’d inside one.

[…]

Within the next two fights I will be a two-weight world champion. I would like that Lightweight belt. I would like to go for that title next. I would like to go this fight, Lightweight fight and then decide what contenders are there in the Lightweight division and Featherweight division and then make the decision.

It’s easy to get swept away in McGregor‘s typical brashness, but from a tactical standpoint, McGregor makes a lot of sense. For all of his skills, he knows he’ll likely need an early knockout to walk away with the belt―Aldo is too good at making mid-fight adjustments to lose a decision.

Expect McGregor to be bold in the first round, taking risks no fighter should take against an experienced veteran like Aldo. He has the hand speed to trouble Aldo early, and it wouldn’t even be a shock if the Brazilian was rocked in the first round.

But you never bet against a man who has held the UFC featherweight belt since its inception. McGregor is a fantastic fighter, but Aldo is a living legend.

 

Weidman vs. Rockhold

It’s a little disappointing the middleweight title bout between Weidman and Rockhold has received so little attention, with Aldo and―especially―McGregor soaking up the spotlights.

Both are insanely talented fighters, impressive athletic specimens who have returned a level of excitement to a division that was dominated by Anderson Silva for years.

Bleacher Report’s Chad Dundas loves this matchup:

Fact is, I’m not sure the 185-pound weight class has ever seen two athletes the caliber of Weidman and Rockhold, let alone seen them together in the same cage at the same time.

These are two next-level specimens, the best of the best in their division, the pinnacle of MMA’s 22-year history in this country.

It’s just that neither one of them has been able to make people care about him yet.

Sure, Weidman and Rockhold aren’t the most exciting trash talkers―fans are hardly going to get pumped for a title bout when the two fighters treat each other like this:

Rockhold is an excellent puncher with a vicious left kick, while Weidman is a more rounded fighter who will likely seek to take the fight to the floor. His ability to block and catch kicks should be a big factor in this fight, although he will struggle to keep up with Rockhold if he decides to trade shots standing up.

This isn’t a classic battle between a puncher and a takedown artist, however. Weidman has plenty of power and solid kicking ability himself, and he has won four of his last five bouts by KO or TKO, per ESPN.com.

Rockhold may not have great takedown offense, but his submission game is spectacular. This fight has the makings of an instant classic and is incredibly hard to call, despite Weidman‘s superb showings since winning the title.

If there’s one safe prediction to make about this fight, it’s that it will likely be more entertaining and more dramatic than the featherweight bout set to take place after it. The champion is the favourite, but only by a razor-thin margin.

 

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