After several months in the making, Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor will finally clash inside the octagon for this Saturday's UFC 194 event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV. Originally scheduled for July, the bout was cancelled less than two weeks prior after Aldo cited a rib injury and at the time, there were conflicting reports about the extent of the Feather weight champion's injury. Chad Mendes was booked as last minute replacement and despite a solid effort was stopped in the closing seconds of the second round. McGregor won the interim Feather weight belt and the dynamic performance solidified him as one of the promotion's rising stars.
I penned a column prior to the Mendes fight to discuss if the charismatic Dublin native was the UFC's top star and when you take into account Ronda Rousey's recent defeat, it appears as though the stage is set for McGregor to seize the throne as the UFC's top draw, which was previously held by fighters such as Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, and Brock Lesnar at various times.
On paper, 145 LBS king pin Jose Aldo should be the favorite to be victorious leading into the contest, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Despite being undefeated in the past ten years with only one blemish on his professional record, Also will probably go into the fight as a slight underdog because Conor McGregor has all the momentum entering the cage. One of the criticisms of Aldo is that he has cancelled five previous title defenses and because those bouts had to be rescheduled, he has fought sporadically in recent years. In fact, Aldo has been away from competition for a year, which is the second time in his career that he took a year between fights and he fought no more than twice in a calendar year since 2010. Considering the year absence, will Aldo show any signs of ring rust during the McGregor bout? When it comes to a skill set, Jose is nearly flawless with razor sharp striking technique, great take down defense, and a Brazilian Ju Jit Su black belt. The Brazilian is without question an extremely dangerous opponent, but he had questionable cardio during previous fights so that could be an avenue for the challenger to claim the title.
As for the result of the fight, it will probably be a rather simplistic scenario and the outcome will depend on where the fight takes places, as well as who dictates the pace of the contest. Conor has two defeats on his record, both via submission and Aldo has excellent ground skills so if the fight goes to the ground, the advantage will go to Jose Aldo. As mentioned, the champion's cardio has been questioned and Conor has an explosive style so if he can push the pace, McGregor might be able to secure a decision through the later rounds. I would suggest that Aldo would be the most dangerous in the first two rounds and if McGregor can survive the initial wave of offense, he has a favorable chance of success in the championship rounds. One of the few criticisms of McGregor is his somewhat one dimensional style and if he doesn't bring at least decent grappling defense into the cage, it could allow Aldo to retain the title.
As far as a prediction for the winner of this one, I have say that Conor McGregor will claim the undisputed Feather weight title, mostly because he has the momentum going into the fight and his opponent, Jose Aldo could have alot of ring rust after an extended absence from the cage. That being said, it won't be an easy night for McGregor, even if he's victorious because Aldo still one of the top fighters in the sport. From a business prospective, Conor is the draw for the UFC and you can expect Saturday to mark the start of a new era in the Zuffa organization or the group will still be searching for its next top star.
Nearly lost in all the fiery shuffle of the Feather Weight title hype is the Middle weight title bout, where Chris Weidman will defend his belt against top contender, Luke Rockhold. Interestingly enough, this battle could surpass the main event in terms of the quality of the action because it's a very evenly matched and it will probably be close fight. Weidman, who shocked the world when he slayed the dragon that was Anderson Silva, has quietly became one of the top fighters in the world, most recently Vitor Belfort earlier this year. Weidman has a grappling base, but is extremely well rounded and has no glaring flaws in his game, along with a flawless record so far in his MMA career. Luke Rockhold brings a very similar skill set into the octagon and only has two defeats on his pro record. Since these two are so even in terms of their skills and experience, I would guess there won't be a direct advantage for either fighter based on where the fight takes place. However, I have to pick Weidman to retain the championship because he's undefeated and as mentioned, he's a well rounded fighter but I wouldn't be shocked if Rockhold gets the win.
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