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Conor McGregor’s 13 second knockout of Jose Aldo was the pick of the talking points in an eventful UFC 194 cardAfter a build-up that traces back for almost a year, coupled with some of the best marketing that the UFC has ever afforded a fight, the severely stacked UFC 194 card finally saw Conor McGregor presented with an opportunity to put his money where his mouth has been at and square up against the only Featherweight Champion in the UFC ever, Jose Aldo. Despite being headlined by the much-anticipated showdown, there was always a case to be made that any fight featured in the card had the potential to steal the show such is the quality of competition that was featured at the MGM Garden Arena in the world’s premier fight-town, Las Vegas.Stylistic match-ups galored, which saw some of the most unpredictable fights put together in what could be aptly described as one of the most talent-filled cards that the UFC has ever put together, if not easily the best marketed. Featuring top of the line fights, UFC 194 capped off an unprecedented weekend of back-to-back-to-back fights put together for the first time ever and presented it’s fair share of surprises for fight fans to digest. That being said, here is a look at the 5 biggest talking points to emerge from the main card.
#1 Conor McGregor is Legit!
There are very few times in history that we encounter fighters that predict their fights and it highlights the greatness of Conor McGregor that he yet again managed to pull off something that the best fight analysts struggle to do with precision and accuracy. All it took was an oblique kick, 2 left crosses and a grand total of 13 seconds to leave the Brazilian fans flabbergasted and the Irish contingent ecstatic. After predicting time and time again that the fight would end in the first round, McGregor came through on yet another one of his predictions and summed the fight up in the most apt manner possible in his post fight interview by saying “precision beats power and timing beats speed”.
While suggestions that a rematch may be warranted if the fight went down to the wire prefaced the fight, surely those in Aldo’s camp would want a rematch after that severely curtailed bout that hardly saw any exchanges. Although however one views this , it is undeniable after this that Conor McGregor closed out UFC 194, beyond any doubt, backing up his ability to walk the walk just like he talks the talk.
#2 Was Weidman indeed the product of opportune timing?
As Luke Rockhold insinuated once on an Embedded episode leading up to the fight, Chris Weidman’s rise to the top involved the beating of a bevy of legendary Brazilian fighters, who some perceieved as past their prime. Having repeated his evaluation that Weidman has never fought a fighter as well-rounded as him and one who can out-grapple him, it was rather ironic that the turning point in the fight arrived when Weidman, rather unsuccessfully, tried to beat Rockhold at his own game by throwning a spinning kick in the third round.
While fans may point to the error of judgement that Weidman displayed in throwing that kick, it is certainly also telling that Rockhold finished the fight after taking Weidman down to the ground, in what was perceieved by many as the All American’s forte, and grounding him out with repeated unanswered shots to the head for the victory. While Chris Weidman may likely receive an immediate rematch, the skill differential in the stand-up department between him and Rockhold was rather apparent through the course of the fight and may have fans questioning if he indeed was the product of good timing in his rise to the Middleweight throne.
#3 The next top contender in the Middleweight division?
Despite eking out the victory against Jacare Souza, the fight between the #2 and #3 ranked Middleweights in the world left more questions than answers as to who the next undisputed challenger to the new Champion would eventually be. Given that Yoel Romero wobbled Jacare badly in the first round, and possibly scored a 10-8 round, it was a surprise that he did not push the pace at the start of the second in an attempt to finish off the Brazilian.
As the fight wore on, it became apparent that the suspect gas tank of Yoel Romero, understandable given the massive amounts of muscle that he carries around, could indeed be his weak point as the fight saw Jacare finish stronger than he should have been allowed to. Despite coming through with the split decision victory, the fight could have arguably gone either way and does not throw up a strong case for Romero to be in-line for a title shot, especially considering that Chris Weidman would likely want, and deserve, an immediate rematch for the belt.
#4 The difference between great and elite
The fight between Demian Maia and Gunnar Nelson was the perfect microcosm to underline the difference between the term “great” and the truly elite. With many fans getting behind the stoic demeanour and great grappling game of Gunnar Nelson, the way Demian Maia manhandled him on the ground proved to everyone that there is a gulf in class between his mastery of jiu-jitsu and pretty much every other fighter in the welterweight division.
While it was quite surprising that Nelson’s corner adviced him to engage Maia on the ground even at the end of getting absolutely battered for 2 rounds, it did serve to highlight his mastery over grappling and perhaps, if the Brazilian had his way, advance his ranking and speed him on his way to one last title shot given that he is already 38 years old and is getting no younger by the day.
#5 Is this the end for Jose Aldo?
Even Joe Rogan, who has been on occasion guilty of being overly courteous and conceding to fighters, paused momentarily in apparent disagreement when Jose Aldo asked for a re-match after his 13 second knockout at the hands of McGregor. After predicting that this fight would be a masterclass, the manner in which Conor McGregor dispatched of Jose Aldo surely adds fuel to the pre-match speculation that emanated from the Brazilian’s camp that this could ostensibly be his last fight.
Despite Jose Aldo asking for the rematch, it remains to be seen if Conor McGregor moving up to the 155 pounds division coupled with Frankie Edgar’s emphatic statement against Chad Mendes grants the ex-champion an immediate rematch in the scheme of things going forward. Not only was his performance hugely underwhelming for the fans that proclaimed his greatness before the fight, it also seemed like the pressure of the occasion had gotten to Jose Aldo. However having mentioned that he did not crack under the psychological warfare that McGregor had waged on him all year in his post-fight Octagon interview, he may have sealed his own fate by inadvertently conceding that it was indeed McGregor’s power in his patented left cross that did the job in the end.
