The 10 Essential UFC Fights Happening over 3-Event Weekend
UFC 194, UFC Fight Night 80, The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale. Pay-per-view, cable TV, Fight Pass online. The weekend on which we are about to embark is unprecedented in its sheer density. This is a super-massive black hole in the center of MMA in 2015.
Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo, for the undisputed featherweight title, is the main event of not only UFC 194, but the entire weekend. And it's only one of two title fights, with Chris Weidman defending his middleweight strap against Luke Rockhold in Saturday's co-main event.
But there are so many great matchups across these three events, all of which go down in Las Vegas. There are 31 UFC bouts total this weekend from Thursday's Fight Night 80 all the way through Saturday's big pay-per-view showstopper.
Keeping up with those 31 fights might be pretty overwhelming. So, with that in mind, let us now delve beyond the main events and beyond the headlines to find the 10 best fights of this long UFC weekend (and a few honorable mentions to boot).
Consider this your overarching guide to the action. These are the must-see engagements. They are ranked based on the stakes involved and the records and skill sets of the fighters.
Honorable Mentions
1 of 11
Here are the honorable mentions, listed in no particular order:
- Joe Lauzon vs. Evan Dunham (TUF 22 Finale)
- Jim Miller vs. Michael Chiesa (UFC Fight Night 80)
- Omari Akhmedov vs. Sergio Moraes (UFC Fight Night 80)
- Sage Northcutt vs. Cody Pfister (UFC Fight Night 80)
- John Makdessi vs. Yancy Medeiros (UFC 194)
- Tim Means vs. John Howard (UFC Fight Night 80)
10. Aljamain Sterling vs. Johnny Eduardo
2 of 11
Event: UFC Fight Night 80
Division: Bantamweight
Records: Aljamain Sterling (11-0), Johnny Eduardo (27-9)
See it on: UFC Fight Pass (subscription required)
Johnny Eduardo is not well-known to casuals, but hardcores know him for having some of the best technical striking among bantamweights. Unfortunately they also know him as someone who can't stay healthy; this is only his fourth fight in the UFC since joining up in 2011.
That second fact saps some of the energy out of this striker-grappler storyline and it may, in some opinions, render this fight less essential than others (I see you, Joe Lauzon fans).
But I respectfully disagree. Maybe it's just my weakness for top prospects, but Eduardo's excellent standup makes this a deceptively stiff test for Sterling and a very interesting fight—especially given the added drama associated with the fact that this is the last fight on Aljamain Sterling's contract.
You may know Sterling as one of the elite prospects of this or any other division. Ensconced with the Serra-Longo Fight Team in New York, the 26-year-old can make a pretzel of anyone on the ground.
I expect this to be more competitive than most people do. And if it's not, you're probably looking at another masterful performance from one of the best bantamweights working today.
9. Warlley Alves vs. Colby Covington
3 of 11
Event: UFC 194
Division: Welterweight
Records: Warlley Alves (9-0), Colby Covington (8-0)
See it on: Fox Sports 1
It's a battle of two relatively under-the-radar prospects when the 24-year-old Warlley Alves and the 27-year-old Colby Covington collide. And you know what they say: One of those Os has got to go.
"Slingshot" Alves won the middleweight bracket of TUF Brazil 3 and quickly moved back to his more familiar weight, where he's a powerful submission fighter. His clinch attack is heavy, too, as are his hands.
His athleticism will be rivaled by Covington, a high-output fighter who uses his wrestling chops to close distance and tenderize from inside or on top.
At the moment, Covington is the very slightest of betting favorites, but the odds show how much of a toss-up this one really is. It gets my vote as the best undercard fight of UFC 194.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
8. Max Holloway vs. Jeremy Stephens
4 of 11
Event: UFC 194
Division: Featherweight
Records: Max Holloway (14-3), Jeremy Stephens (24-11)
See it on: Pay-per-view
What you want to do for this fight is, you want to batten down the hatches. You don't want hatch fragments sprinkling down on your loved ones all night.
And with this one it's a real possibility. Max Holloway has been brilliant over the past two years, leavening his laser-guided kickboxing with an improving submission game and winning seven straight over good opposition.
Stephens—well, you know Jeremy Stephens. He could knock out a pine tree.
Holloway would appear to be the more skilled of the two, and it can't be lost on the UFC that a Holloway win here is both likely and likely to be exciting. After all, this division will need fresh blood at the top after UFC 194.
7. Rose Namajunas vs. Paige VanZant
5 of 11
Event: UFC Fight Night 80
Division: Women's strawweight
Records: Paige VanZant (6-1), Rose Namajunas (3-2)
All right, all right, just calm down. Yes, it's Paige VanZant. Congratulations, you've made it to the promised land.
VanZant is the California blonde with the eleventy gillion Instagram followers (or half a million, I'm not a math guy). She is also a pretty good fighter. No, she won't be entering Metamoris any time soon, but her sheer pressure and athleticism is usually enough on its own.
As analyst David Castillo of Bloody Elbow writes:
"VanZant is a great example of how to be a technician through philosophy. It's not just that she pressures. It's how she pressures. Paige calculates with punches, takedowns, and knees. But she does so with a specific endgame in mind, never intimidating by the thought that her opponent won't crack under pressure.
"
Rose Namajunas stepped in to replace Joanne Calderwood and is, by all accounts, a step up in competition. Though her record may not show it, Namajunas is darn good. She is plenty aggressive in her own right, and a dangerous ground game—something Calderwood can't boast—could give VanZant nightmares.
The UFC has obviously lugged its star machine over to VanZant's corner. But Namajunas brings plenty to the table, making this the 21-year-old's toughest fight to date.
6. Edson Barboza vs. Tony Ferguson
6 of 11
Event: TUF 22 Finale
Division: Lightweight
Records: Tony Ferguson (19-3), Edson Barboza (16-3)
See it on: Fox Sports 1
The fact that this is the sixth-best fight of the weekend should tell you all you need to know about this weekend. Boy howdy.
The Brazilian Edson Barboza is the UFC's human highlight reel. He not only throws the spinning stuff, he lands it to brutal effect. Look at his record, which is littered with things like "TKO-leg kicks" and "TKO-crushing you in the liver."
Barboza's excellent takedown defense may be tested by the aggressive Tony Ferguson. The TUF 13 winner might be the best fighter in the UFC to never fight for a title. That could change if he can use his terrific movement and defense to fend off a Barboza posterization and use his power to dictate the action.
Either way, a stoppage is a distinct possibility, and tornadic exchanges are a mortal lock. This is a favorite for Fight of the Night.
5. Gunnar Nelson vs. Demian Maia
7 of 11
Event: UFC 194
Division: Featherweight
Records: Demian Maia (21-6), Gunnar Nelson (14-1-1)
See it on: Pay-per-view
Oh yes, grappling fans. Your Super Bowl hath arrived.
In the interest of minimizing hyperbole, if you can find two MMA grapplers in the UFC better than Gunnar Nelson and Demian Maia, I'm all ears.
It really doesn't matter, though. This matchup is so good fans might have assumed it would never happen. It's like Kobe vs. LeBron in a dunk contest. Only in dreams.
This Saturday, though, it's reality for lucky MMA fans, and it's the chess match to end all chess matches. Each man has an even 10 submission wins and zero submission losses to his name. Could those numbers change at UFC 194? We should be so lucky.
4. Frankie Edgar vs. Chad Mendes
8 of 11
Event: TUF 22 Finale
Division: Featherweight
Records: Frankie Edgar (19-4-1), Chad Mendes (17-3)
See it on: Fox Sports 1
Chad Mendes has lost two of this last three. Never mind that the losses were to Aldo and McGregor. Never mind that! He's a bum, I tells ya!
Nah, he's not. He has to be worried, though, that he's about to drop three of four against a ferocious and fresh-faced featherweight in Frankie Edgar.
We all know Edgar from his time as lightweight champ. What can he really, truly do at 145 pounds? With all due respect to his previous opponents, this fight will tell the tale.
Can Mendes get to the lightning-quick Edgar? Can he actually take him down? Can he use those bowling-ball fists and that Duane Ludwig-enhanced striking to damage Edgar in exchanges? And if he can, will the tough-as-nails Edgar care?
We'll find out. This is the main event of the weekend for those not interested in ordering pay-per-views.
3. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza vs. Yoel Romero
9 of 11
Event: UFC 194
Division: Middleweight
Records: Ronaldo Souza (22-3), Yoel Romero (10-1)
See it on: Pay-per-view
When last we saw Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza in a cage, he was winning his eighth straight, thanks to a verbal submission of Chris Camozzi.
When last we saw Romero, he was throwing Lyoto Machida around like a displeased Rottweiler.
The raw power and athleticism is clear in both men, and it's part of the reason why the matchup is so compelling. The thing that really puts these fighters and this bout over the edge, though, is the skills. The wonderful, wonderful skills.
Jacare has his many-time world championships in grappling and jiu-jitsu. Romero has his Olympic wrestling medal.
Both men (particularly Souza) have underrated striking arsenals. Both men (particularly Romero) have knockout power.
Throw in they are most likely fighting for the next middleweight title shot and you have a true matchup to remember.
2. Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold
10 of 11
Event: UFC 194
Division: Middleweight (for UFC middleweight title)
Records: Chris Weidman (13-0), Luke Rockhold (14-2)
See it on: Pay-per-view
Demian Maia. Lyoto Machida. Anderson Silva twice. For years now, Chris Weidman has been overcoming the top challenges the middleweight division has to offer.
There is no question, no question at all, that Luke Rockhold is his biggest challenge.
If you throw out a flash knockout in 2013 from a quite-possibly-juicing Vitor Belfort, Rockhold has not lost since his second professional fight in 2007. The 31-year-old, who held the Strikeforce title at the time of that promotion's closure, is a submission wizard. His kickboxing and cardio are pretty top-notch as well.
That means Weidman will have more trouble launching his pressure-cooker game. Weidman comes forward, excelling in the clinch and with his power-wrestling game. Rockhold won't be overwhelmed by any of these.
In a nutshell, we have two very well-rounded fighters here, both in the absolute prime of their careers.
Weidman knows this, and that may explain the trim physique he's sporting even weeks before fight night.
"I didn’t want to be fighting at a weight I’m not familiar with and I’m not used to training at," Weidman told MMAJunkie Radio (h/t Tristen Critchfield of Sherdog). "So I just got myself accustomed to a weight I’m going to be fighting at and trained the whole camp at it pretty much. ... In my head, I’m preparing for my most difficult defense."
1. Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo
11 of 11
Event: UFC 194
Division: Featherweight (for undisputed UFC featherweight title)
Records: Jose Aldo (25-1), Conor McGregor (18-2)
See it on: Pay-per-view
Sure, the hype is justified. Oh, sure.
After Jon Jones' fall from grace, Jose Aldo was immediately coronated as the best MMA fighter on planet Earth. His game—the leg kicks, the defense, the creativity, the efficiency—can be recited by pretty much every serious fight fan.
Conor McGregor is the most famous MMA fighter on that very same planet, non-Ronda Rousey division. Paced by a wicked left hand, a deep striking reservoir and a bottomless gas tank, the supremely confident Irishman is certain he can pull the upset.
Only, it's not that big of an upset. Actually, as it stands, it's not even an upset at all, probably thanks to a slew of very enthusiastic McGregor bettors.
We'll see what happens. On the way, though, make no mistake: This is one of the can't-miss fights of the entire year.
Scott Harris writes about MMA for Bleacher Report. For more, follow Scott on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
