Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor are finally set to battle at UFC 194 on Saturday night to determine who's the top dog in the featherweight division. It's a long-awaited clash that could very well end up being one of the year's top fights.
While the featherweight unification bout headlines the event, the rest of the card is littered with intriguing matchups. Most notably, the UFC Middleweight Championship will also be on the line as Chris Weidman defends his belt against Luke Rockhold.
Let's check out all of the important information as UFC takes center stage in Las Vegas. That's followed by picks for the entire card and a deeper dive into the hyped main event.
Event Details
Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas
When: Saturday, Dec. 12, at 6:30 p.m. ET (Main Card 10 p.m. ET)
Watch: Fox Sports 1 (Prelims) and pay-per-view (Main Card)
Prelim Live Stream: UFC.com
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Card Predictions
| Class | Matchup | Pick |
| Main Card (PPV) | ||
| Featherweight | Jose Aldo (c) vs. Conor McGregor (interim) | McGregor |
| Middleweight | Chris Weidman (c) vs. Luke Rockhold | Weidman |
| Middleweight | Ronaldo Souza vs. Yoel Romero | Souza |
| Welterweight | Demian Maia vs. Gunnar Nelson | Nelson |
| Featherweight | Max Holloway vs. Jeremy Stephens | Holloway |
| Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1) | ||
| 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 |
| Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass) | ||
| Lightweight | Joe Proctor vs. Magomed Mustafaev | Mustafaev |
| Lightweight | John Makdessi vs. Yancy Medeiros | Medeiros |
| Welterweight | Court McGee vs. Marcio Alexandre | McGee |
Card via UFC.com
Aldo vs. McGregor Preview
Aldo was originally slated to defend the featherweight title against McGregor back in July before suffering a rib injury. His extended absence, which stretches all the way back to last October, allowed the outspoken Irishman to become interim champion with a victory over Chad Mendes.
Now, at long last, the two superstars are ready to square off.
McGregor loves to talk. He's one of the top fight salesman in all of combat sports, and it's allowed him to become a top draw relatively quickly since his arrival to UFC. He certainly hasn't changed his approach despite the high-profile nature of his meeting with Aldo.
"The Notorious" made it clear he's confident his preparation has him ready for anything the champion does inside the Octagon, as noted by Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times:
I'll be a ghost. He will chase me and I'll not be there. Jose falls into the same patterns. He moves the same. He kicks and punches the same. It's repetition. He does the same thing over and over. He's too predictable.
There's a subtle brilliance to those remarks. Not only is he talking himself up, but he's also planting a seed of doubt in Aldo's mind that could force him to attempt things outside of his comfort zone in an effort to surprise the interim champ.
McGregor has never faced somebody with the all-around ability of the Brazilian, though. Aldo has a wide-ranging skill set that's allowed him to control a bout regardless of his opponent's approach, which is why he's remained the titleholder for so long.
Reed Kuhn of Fightnomics provided some advanced metrics to illustrate how close the matchup is:
Conor McGregor vs Jose Aldo at #UFC194 pits fighters with 13 combined knockdowns scored and none received. Metrics: pic.twitter.com/FDLl7xjGBo
— Fightnomics Reed (@Fightnomics) December 7, 2015
One other factor is whether Aldo will be able to showcase top form right away after such a long layoff. If he does, the door is open for the bout to become an instant classic because the numbers suggest neither fighter has a distinct advantage.
McGregor must come out as the aggressor. He must attempt to push the pace early to land a couple of significant strikes to test Aldo. How the champion responds to that early pressure will dictate what happens in the rest of the fight.
One thing's for sure: It should be a terrific atmosphere inside MGM Grand Garden Arena as the fight so many fans have been waiting on finally arrives.
