UFC 194 Aldo vs. McGregor Predictions: Main Card Staff Picks
UFC 194, scheduled for Saturday, is the final UFC pay-per-view of 2015. It seems the promotion was indeed saving the best for last because the card is stacked from top to bottom and features a main card full of headline-worthy matchups.
Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor pair up for the main event of the night. The bout marks one of the most anticipated clashes in the sport's history and will determine the undisputed featherweight champion.
The co-main event pits middleweight champion Chris Weidman against No. 1 contender Luke Rockhold in another eagerly awaited title fight.
Throw in some Ronaldo Souza vs. Yoel Romero, a little Demian Maia vs. Gunnar Nelson and some Max Holloway vs. Jeremy Stephens, and you have one good-looking night of fights.
In preparation for UFC 194, Bleacher Report's picks team has assembled to provide you with our best guesses at each main card fight. Read on for prognostications from Scott "M'Hael" Harris, Nathan "The Myrddraal" McCarter, Steven "Rahvin" Rondina, Jonathan "Shaitan" Snowden and Craig "Aginor" Amos.
2015 Records (On Hold)
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This is a busy stretch for the UFC. Fight Night 80 ran Thursday night, The Ultimate Fighter finale aired Friday night and UFC 194 is Saturday.
Because our records will change between the publication of these picks and the event they forecast, we'll bypass the standings in this edition of our main card staff picks article.
So on to the picks.
Max Holloway vs. Jeremy Stephens
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Scott Harris
This could be a terrific scrap, but Max Holloway has too many tools and better athleticism in a fresher body. The Hawaiian gets the better of a fast burner.
Holloway, TKO, Rd. 2
Steven Rondina
Stephens is a guy with a good right hand and serviceable takedown defense. That's enough to beat a lot of folks, but there's no reason to think Holloway can't beat him the same way Charles Oliveira did.
Holloway, unanimous decision
Nathan McCarter
Stephens will have to get inside Holloway's long reach to deliver the knockout blow, and that is not going to happen. Holloway has developed a nice all-around skill set and has added in some quality fight IQ to boot. He won't get into a wild brawl with Stephens. Holloway sticks the jab in his face for three rounds.
Holloway, unanimous decision
Craig Amos
Holloway comes into this one riding a seven-fight win streak and is showing no sign of slowing down. Stephens is dangerous, but so long as Holloway avoids any mental hiccups, he will build that momentum even further.
Holloway, TKO, Rd. 3
Jonathan Snowden
Holloway, unanimous decision
Demian Maia vs. Gunnar Nelson
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Scott Harris
This is a grappler's delight. Nelson is like sludge: He builds slowly, but when he covers you, you're in trouble. Maia will come close with a few subs early but flag down the stretch as Nelson comes on.
Nelson, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
Maia vs. Nelson is the kind of human chess match that every hardcore fan dreams of...which means the fight will probably stink. Look for Maia to use his veteran savvy and left hand to edge out Nelson on the scorecards in a snoozer.
Maia, unanimous decision
Nathan McCarter
I love this fight, but Father Time has caught up to Maia. Nelson has more pop in his striking, and that's the difference.
Nelson, TKO, Rd. 2
Craig Amos
Sometimes, common strengths cancel each other out and a fight is decided by secondary tools. If that's the case and the submission games don't decide the outcome, we're pitting Maia's much-improved wrestling against Nelson's striking.
Nelson, unanimous decision
Jonathan Snowden
Nelson, TKO, Rd. 3
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Ronaldo Souza vs. Yoel Romero
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Scott Harris
Souza always has his grappling to fall back on...unless he's fighting an Olympic wrestler. Romero is Godzilla, and Souza is just the next Japanese fishing village.
Romero, TKO, Rd. 3
Steven Rondina
Souza is probably the savvier fighter, but there's no ignoring, denying or downplaying Romero's ability to end a fight on the spot. Either Romero will clobber him with a punch standing, or he will take Souza down and finish him on the ground.
Romero, TKO, Rd. 3
Nathan McCarter
Romero's wrestling will be a big roadblock for Jacare, but overall, the Cuban has shown many more holes in his game. Tim Kennedy had him on the ropes, and Derek Brunson had success as well. Romero also wilts in the later rounds, and that'll be when Jacare locks up a submission.
Souza, submission, Rd. 3
Craig Amos
When I assess this matchup, I like Romero's odds, but I have one of those nagging feelings that Jacare pulls it out. I'm going with the gut on this one.
Souza, submission, Rd. 2
Jonathan Snowden
Romero, unanimous decision
Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold
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Scott Harris
It's not hard to forget that Rockhold has faced some tough competition of late. Because he's been making it look easy, Weidman may have never broken a full sweat in the Octagon. I predict a lot of clinch action along the fence, a few big shots and some scintillating scrambles on the ground. Here's guessing Rockhold stays a little busier while avoiding big damage. New champ.
Rockhold, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
I've been waffling on this fight for a long time now, but I've used this logic before, and there's no reason to stop now. Chris Weidman is the champion. He is the better wrestler. That's difficult to overcome.
Weidman, unanimous decision
Nathan McCarter
Matchmaking for UFC 194 is too difficult. Can I get a dartboard and just blindly throw a dart at a picture of these two warriors? Weidman will struggle with Rockhold's size, but ultimately, he will out-grapple the AKA product. Rockhold's defense will be too good for Weidman to get a finish, but he'll take the championship rounds.
Weidman, unanimous decision
Craig Amos
This may not be the main event, but it's one of the most enthralling matchups of 2015. Both combatants are legitimately among the best in the world, and each is in his prime. For what it's worth, I wouldn't pick against either one if they were fighting any other middleweight in the world besides each other.
Rockhold, unanimous decision
Jonathan Snowden
Rockhold, split decision
Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor
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Scott Harris
It's hard to talk about this fight in a pithy fashion without sounding reductive or resorting to cliches. So I won't try, except to say that both of these men have excellent offensive games. Defense and efficiency will be the difference, and that tips the scales for Aldo.
Aldo, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
I was on board with McGregor at first, but that has changed in recent months. Unless McGregor can crack him with a punch, Aldo will be able to slow him down with leg kicks and beat him up, leading to either a handy decision win or a late stoppage.
Aldo, unanimous decision
Nathan McCarter
Picking this fight was hard. I can picture this fight ending in almost every way that is not McGregor winning the grappling exchanges. Everything else is up in the air. I have no choice but to side with Aldo until he shows time has passed him by, similar to his Brazilian counterpart, Anderson Silva.
Aldo, TKO, Rd. 3
Craig Amos
McGregor wastes no time getting down to business, so he could jump out to an early lead. Aldo's leg kicks and accuracy will take over in the middle frames, though, and he'll either build a lead on the cards or might even stop the fight with strikes.
Aldo, TKO, Rd. 4
Jonathan Snowden
McGregor, TKO, Rd. 2
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