A comprehensive look at UFC 194.
What a weekend of fights. Not only did we witness two belts change hands, but we saw a former champion rise from the ashes to secure a future title shot of his own. In the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale we saw a great performance turned in by former lightweight kingpin Frankie Edgar. With blistering speed and power that he never displayed before, Edgar knocked out fellow top contender Chad Mendes inside of a round. It was one of the most impressive wins of Frankie Edgar’s career especially considering the kind of credentials Mendes brought to the table. With a win that big it seems to be a foregone conclusion that Edgar will be up next for the featherweight championship. Speaking of featherweight, who saw that coming?! I picked Conor McGregor to win his match up with former champion Jose Aldo at UFC 194, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the fight going quite like that. The new featherweight king stopped Aldo at just 13 seconds of the first round with a well placed counter left hand. It was the first defeat of Aldo’s UFC career ending his 10 year unbeaten streak which included 18 straight wins.
Photo: MMamania.com
Conor McGregor has been nothing short of dominant since entering the Zuffa owned promotion in 2013 and is only the second man to lay claim to the featherweight world title. It’s obvious that his power is truly stellar for a 145 lbs fighter and though he has looked impressive at featherweight, it’s likely that a move up to lightweight is in the foreseeable future for the man known as “Notorious”. The co-main event of UFC 194 pitted middleweight champion Chris Weidman against the talented challenger Luke Rockhold. In a competitive back and forth affair, the two middleweights traded blows, secured takedowns, and showed off the entirety of their MMA arsenal. Weidman was impressive early, using his aggressive pressure style and wrestling to take Rockhold to the mat. The challenger was game however and showed his determination in the second and third frames, the latter of which he was a secure mount and land some nasty ground and pound on the champion. Though many feel that the fight could’ve been stopped in the third round, referee Herb Dean chose to allow Chris Weidman the opportunity to get back into the fight. Though it may have been questionable, Weidman was reactive on the bottom avoiding many strikes and even trying his best to throw offense off of his back. The fourth round would seal the deal for Luke Rockhold as he secured a TKO victory against the previously undefeated former champion Weidman.
Photo: Entimports.com
There was so many different fights to review over the weekend it’s hard to choose which was the best, which was the most impressive. But the number one thing that will be on the minds of all MMA fans and pundits is exactly where does Conor McGregor go from here. Destroying Jose Aldo in the manner that he did was nothing short of alarming. Jose Aldo has beaten back every challenger that has stood in his way, even the impressive Frankie Edgar who had a sensational win of his own this past Friday night. With McGregor gunning for a lightweight title fight, the same title to be contested between Rafael dos Anjos and Donald Cerrone this Saturday, it’s hard to say where that leaves Frankie Edgar or Jose Aldo. The former champion is already campaigning for a rematch and it’s hard to argue that Frankie Edgar isn’t the number one contender at this point. Should Conor McGregor choose to try his hand at making history and attempt to hold two UFC belts concurrently, where will this leave the featherweight title picture? It seems we’ll have to wait until Saturday to find the answer. So what do you think Conor McGregor should do? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter.
