UFC 194: Aldo and McGregor lead huge event in Las Vegas

Aldo (left) x McGregor (right) will headline UFC 194. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

The UFC holds, this Saturday (12), its last event in pay-per-view in 2015. To achieve this, the organization bet on a star-studded card, headlined by one of the most anticipated fights in recent years: José Aldo against Conor McGregor.

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The two champions of the UFC featherweight division have starred in a true soap opera throughout this year. After a lot of promotion on the part of Ultimate, which involved a world tour of press conferences, provocations and disagreements between the fighters, and even the postponement of the fight from its original date, Aldo and McGregor will finally fight inside of the octagon.

Even without having yet shared the Octagon with Aldo, the Irishman, interim champion of the category, has shown himself to be an implacable opponent for the Brazilian. McGregor has been investing heavily in catchphrases and provocations against his rival, which has caused unprecedented expectations for a fight in the featherweight category. However, the battle goes beyond the psychological: with an unorthodox stand-up style, McGregor has shown himself to be a worthy challenger, winning five of his six fights in the UFC by knockout.

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However, it is no surprise that Aldo has reigned supreme in the division for a long time. The Brazilian is the “complete package” when it comes to an MMA fighter, with sharp, aggressive striking, an impeccable takedown game and dangerous groundwork. In the midst of this psychological and technical dispute, the athletes promise to put on a tense fight, which will ultimately define in practice who will be the only champion in the weight category up to 66 kg.

Weidman (left) and Rockhold (right) duel for the middleweight title in December. Photo: Reproduction/FOXSports1

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The expectation for the main fight is so great that it ended up overshadowing another duel that promises to go down in history. In the second most important fight of the night, Chris Weidman defends his belt again against the pack Luke Rockhold, former Strikeforce middleweight champion. The two athletes are going through an excellent phase and are finally on a collision course, in a fight that seems to be just the first chapter of a long rivalry.

Whoever wins in the North American duel will probably meet their next opponent that same night. Also on the UFC 194 main card, Ronaldo Jacare e Yoel romero decide who will be next in line to fight for the belt. More than that, the fight will feature an interesting duel of styles: Jacaré is one of the most successful jiu-jitsu fighters in history, while the Cuban has a rich wrestling resume, which includes Olympic participation.

The event will also feature four other Brazilians. Demian Maia faces the promising Gunnar Nelson on the main card; TUF Brazil champions Warlley alves and Leonardo Santos face, respectively, Colby covington e Kevin Lee, e Márcio Lyoto pega Court mcgee.

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