UFC 194 Start Time: Full Card, TV Info, Live Stream, Aldo vs. McGregor Picks
Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo will finally settle their long-standing score in Las Vegas on Saturday evening, as they square off at UFC 194 in a featherweight unification bout.
The showdown between the two tops a bill that is packed with quality contests, including the middleweight title encounter between champion Chris Weidman and exciting challenger Luke Rockhold. It means those in attendance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena will be in for a spectacular night of action.
Here’s a look at the key viewing details ahead of this one, including the start time, TV information and live stream details. There’s also a rundown of the card in full and a closer look at who is likely to triumph in the marquee bouts of the night.
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| Main Card | ||||
| Featherweight | Jose Aldo (c) | vs. | Conor McGregor (ic) | McGregor |
| Middleweight | Chris Weidman (c) | vs. | Luke Rockhold | Weidman |
| Middleweight | Ronaldo Souza | vs. | Yoel Romero | Romero |
| Welterweight | Demian Maia | vs. | Gunnar Nelson | Maia |
| Featherweight | Max Holloway | vs. | Jeremy Stephens | Holloway |
| Preliminary Card | ||||
| Bantamweight | Urijah Faber | vs. | Frankie Saenz | Faber |
| Women's Strawweight | Tecia Torres | vs. | Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger | Torres |
| Welterweight | Warlley Alves | vs. | Colby Covington | Covington |
| Lightweight | Leonardo Santos | vs. | Kevin Lee | Lee |
| Lightweight | Joe Proctor | vs. | Magomed Mustafaev | Mustafaev |
| Lightweight | John Makdessi | vs. | Yancy Medeiros | Makdessi |
| Welterweight | Court McGee | vs. | Marcio Alexandre Jr. | McGee |
Date: Saturday, Dec. 12
Start Time: Main card begins at 7 p.m. (Local), 10 p.m. (ET), 3 a.m (BST, Dec. 13)
TV Info: BT Sport (UK), AT & T (U.S.)
Live Stream: BT Sport website (UK), UFC TV
Weidman vs. Rockhold
This fight between the two finest middleweights on the planet would usually be prestigious enough to solely headline a pay-per-view event, but Weidman and Rockhold will have to make do with sharing the spotlight. That’s unlikely to take much away from what should be an intriguing head-to-head between two fighters at the peak of their powers, though.
As UFC reporter Simon Head noted, these two men should give the fans a tremendous appetiser ahead of the one everyone seems to be talking about:
Rockhold, after losing to Vitor Belfort back in 2013, has made encouraging progress in his four fights since, culminating with an impressive win over Lyoto Machida back in April. Weidman, who has won all 13 of his professional MMA matches, is a hugely impressive champion, having twice beaten the great Anderson Silva, Belfort and Machida most recently.
It’s a fight that is likely to have everything. Both of these competitors have broad skill sets, have momentum behind them and have proved they can thrive on the big stage. For Weidman, a tag of "all-time great" awaits if he can get over the line, while Rockhold can enrich his own glittering reputation if he can become the first man to topple the champion.
Comedy actor Kevin James is backing Weidman to continue showing his championship calibre in this one:
The co-main event is difficult to call, but the champion seems to have a slender edge. Throughout his time in the UFC, he’s showcased an adaptability in the manner he’s faced opponents, and while Rockhold has a mean defence, Weidman should have enough to find a way around it and grab a foothold in the contest.
Prediction: Weidman
Aldo vs. McGregor
The hype ahead of this one has gone into overdrive in the days preceding fight night, with MMA fans seemingly split down the middle on which man will come out on top.
Having had an earlier bout called off, the excitement ahead of this showdown has reached feverish levels, especially after McGregor affirmed his status as an elite competitor with an emphatic victory over Chad Mendes. After an embittered build-up, we’ll finally get an answer to what has been a question long asked in MMA circles.
As MMA History Today noted recently, for all the mind games, this is a contest that should make for an aesthetic spectacle:
The Irishman has plenty of impetus behind him coming into this contest and has been unshakeably confident in the build-up. Indeed, McGregor has stated that he is unsure whether Aldo will get up from his stool for the second bell, promising to put in a “masterclass” performance in front of the watching world.
Aldo, unbeaten in professional fights for over a decade, will seek to slow the pace and dominate the middle of the Octagon. But McGregor is one of the most dynamic opponents he has faced in his career so far and will press to push the iconic Brazilian onto the back foot.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden feels that whether McGregor can execute this tactic will ultimately determine who comes out on top:
"If Conor can move Aldo back into the fence he can hurt him. I don't see anyone surviving an extended period there.
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) December 10, 2015"
McGregor needs to fight smart. If he marches forward recklessly, Aldo has the quality to pick him off and dominate the bout from there. The Irishman must use his superior reach to fight at length and keep Aldo guessing in the early stages; if he can create indecision in the mind of his opponent, and that’s when he'll seek to land those devastating left hands.
Prediction: McGregor
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