UFC 200 - The Potentially Record-Breaking Landmark Event.

McGregor finished Aldo in just 13 seconds to become
the new 145-pound champion.

July 9th, 2016. The currently under

construction MGM-AEG Arena. International Fight Week. UFC 200 is "expected to be the biggest event in company history." So let's take a look at the fights which may take place on this potentially record breaking card. Recently crowned the new featherweight champion after knocking out Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds, Conor McGregor has had a heck of journey in the last couple of years. McGregor's coach, John Kavanagh, has just said in an interview with Ariel Helwani on the MMA hour that they hope to fight the winner of Cerrone vs. Dos Anjos 2 for the lightweight belt in March/April time, and then move back down to 145 to defend his title vs Edgar or Aldo at UFC 200 in July.  

However, although McGregor only threw a few punches in his unification fight with Aldo, he will have to undergo an x-ray on his left wrist to determine if any injury was picked up in the short fight. If the results are positive, McGregor must be cleared by a doctor and if not, there will be no contest until June the 12th. This would put ideas of Conor being a duo-weight champion straight out of the window as his planned fight in April time would not be able to take place. Regardless of that, UFC 200 is shaping well for McGregor and it would be hard to imagine that the "biggest event in company history" wouldn't feature their biggest star.

Rousey suffered her first professional MMA loss to
 Holm at UFC 193.

Now, let's move on to a potential re-match of one the biggest upsets in the history of combat sports. Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm 2. 2015 was turning out to be one hell for Rousey. Landing herself roles in several films, appearing on the covers of men's fitness magazines and most importantly dominating every woman that stepped inside the octagon with her.  

That was until UFC 193, November the 14th. In comes 18-time world boxing champion, Holly Holm. She outclassed Rousey in every department, and even took her down in the fight, something the UFC world thought they would never see. This re-match is shaping up well for UFC 200, however one problem is that Holm thinks it is "too far away" and she doesn't want to "wait that long." Also. one thing to take into account is that Rousey is starring in two movies in 2016, "Mile 22" in January and "Roadhouse 2" in March/April time. This means that Rousey will only have around seven weeks to commit to full time training before UFC 200. Is that really enough considering the drastic improvements she evidently needs to make before facing Holm again?  

What other fights would you like to see on the UFC 200 card that would make it the "biggest event in company history?"

 UFC 194: In Pictures

Conor McGregor embracing his travelling Irish fans before his title fight.

Jose Aldo pacing his way to the octagon to defend his belt.

The devastating, precise left hand from McGregor which handed Aldo his first loss in 10 years.

The notorious is victorious.

The now former champ Aldo is left heartbroken from losing his belt in just 13 seconds.

Luke Rockhold landing some brutal ground and pound, in his title fight with Chris Weidman.

Referee Herb Dean comes to Weidman's rescue, and Rockhold is crowned the new 185-pound champion. 

Rockhold poses with his training partners, including the current 205-pound champion Daniel Cormier.

Yoel "Soldier of God" Romero delivers some shots on the ground to Jacare Souza.

Much to Jacare's disappointment, Soldier of God celebrates a split decision victory.

BJJ veteran Demian Maia embraces a battered Gunnar Nelson after a dominant performance.

Hawaiian native Max Holloway proudly raises his states colours after his win over Jeremy Stephens.

All pictures were sourced from: http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/12/12/10014696/ufc-194-photos#5245547

UFC 194: Luke Rockhold ends Chris Weidman's reign to claim Middleweight gold.

Luke Rockhold was "surprised" referee Herb Dean didn't come to Weidman's rescue at the end of round 3, and so were most people watching.

Rockhold's Rejoice.

Luke Rockhold is on cloud nine. He has proved all his doubters wrong, and has finally showed his huge skillset to the world of fight fans. Not to mention that he scooped up the 185-pound belt in the process. The nasty infection of cellulitis couldn't even disturb him from coming into this overwhelming opportunity. Now let's not be silly here. When the name Chris Weidman comes to mind, you instantly think of his outstanding wrestling ability, gritty determination and strong mind-set. Not wheel kicks. Ultimately the downfall of his own performance, the wheel-kick that Weidman threw in that third round was the cause of an onslaught of ruthless ground and pound that Rockhold was about to inflict on the former champ. Not to say that if that lethargic kick wouldn't have been attempted by Weidman that Rockhold wouldn't have put an end to Weidman's unbeaten streak, but it certainly helped.

Rockhold's vicious strikes which almost finished the fight.

New champs and fights to make.

Rockhold now joins Werdum, Lawler and Cormier as former Strikeforce fighters who currently claim UFC gold. In addition to this, the triumphs of Rockhold and McGregor on Saturday night mean there has now been seven new UFC champions across all weight classes in the year of 2015. Who'd have predicted that? And if you did, I bet it was certainly not in the fashion that it occurred. 

So what next? What fights can we put together from this shockingly surreal co-main event at UFC 194? Well, with Yoel Romero winning an extremely tight split decision over Jacare Souza prior to the co-main event of 194, calls all already beckoning for Rockhold vs. Romero in the first quarter of 2016. However, it may not be that simple, as the most recent man to beat Rockhold, Vitor Belfort, has already called him out on Instagram saying "you're still spinning" from Rockhold's 2013 KO loss to Belfort. For Weidman however, an instant rematch against Rockhold is not the case. Being thoroughly outclassed by Rockhold means Weidman will most likely have to fight the likes of Jacare Souza, or maybe even Tim Kennedy before earning another title shot. Rumours were occuring that Weidman had broken his foot in his bout with Rockhold on Saturday, but the x-rays were negative. So like Rockhold, he could potentially fight again in the first quarter of 2016. The unpredictability of the middleweight division just seems to continue in the UFC.

Rockhold embraces his emphatic win, whilst Weidman is left devastated.

UFC 194 Main Event: McGregor finishes Aldo in just 13 seconds.

Capitalise. A 'strong' word frequently used by the notorious one throughout his training camp prior to facing Chad back in July. Capitalise on everything. That word is the perfect scenario for what unfolded last night. An overextended left hand from Aldo, capitalised on by McGregor securing him unified 145-pound gold in just 13 seconds, breaking the record previously set by Ronda Rousey for the fastest finish in title fight history. Mind-blowing. The shockingly surreal situation has still not yet sunk in for most UFC fans, but for McGregor, it really wasn't much of a surprise. "I feel him over reacting, over extending, and then being KO’d unconscious. " Conor said in a interview with Gareth A Davies prior to his victorious triumph. This was something McGregor expected, maybe not as early as it occurred in the fight, but it was still what Conor anticipated.

Jose Aldo was clearly heartbroken after being defeated.

It was no surprise that it was the left hand of Conor which ultimately ended the fight. After dropping a couple of hammerfists on the downed Aldo to ensure the task was completed, the travelling Irish crowd was once again sent berserk, deafening the MGM Grand Garden Area with roars of joy as their countryman had once again fulfilled their wishes. McGregor, who was humble in victory, had the up-most respect for Aldo in his post-fight interview. "I feel for Jose, he was a phenomenal champion" Conor said as the deflated Aldo sat distraught on his stool, holding back the tears and trying to come to terms with what had just occurred. 8 consecutive title defences and a legacy of being undefeated for 10 years had just seemed to all crash down and Aldo in that very moment.

So what next? McGregor has already stated that he is extremely keen on moving up to 155, and becoming a 'duo-weight champion.' UFC President Dana White has already stated that if Conor does move up to lightweight, he will fight the winner of Saturday's title fight between Rafael Dos Anjos and Donald Cerrone. However, that does not mean McGregor has any plans to vacate the belt he has just won. With Frankie Edgar coming off an extremely impressive knockout win over Chad Mendes, that may just be enough to keep Mystic Mac at 145 for another fight, even though his coach John Kavanagh has said the weight cut is just 'too much.'

McGregor celebrating the unification of his belt.

For Aldo, he has stated that he wants a rematch, and he will be "better prepared to reclaim what is mine." This may not be the case though due to Edgar's win, as it will most likely shape up to be Frankie that will next fight Conor if he stays at 145. Aldo will certainly need some time off to recover after last night, and even when he is fight again he may have to work his way back up the rankings in order to gain another title shot. Calls of Aldo vs. Mendes 3 have already beckoned, as well as Aldo vs. Holloway. For Mystic-Mac however, the talk continues, and the walk backs it up.

UFC 194 Main Event Preview

Saturday, December 12th, 2015. Arguably the most 'stacked' main card in UFC history, just edging UFC 100, records are set to broken as three outstanding match ups are followed by two tantalizing title fights.

Main Event: Aldo vs. McGregor

Scarface. The Notorious One. A match-up which all UFC fans have been so highly anticipating since McGregor's sudden breakthrough into the sport, this fight is certainly going to bring in some 'numbers' as McGregor would say. The endless press conferences, interviews and tense social media interactions has created a hyper like no other for this fight. Could we finally see a new featherweight champion in the sport? Will the "McGregor train" come crashing down like Rousey's? Who knows. 

McGregor's kicks played a huge part in his victory at UFC 189.

For the unorthodox McGregor, confidence has been his greatest asset going into any of his fights. But everyone knows that, so let's take an in depth look at some of McGregor's effective weapons which could secure him unified gold. Distance and cage control. Conor utilizes footwork outstandingly to pressure his opponents to the cage, just look at his last fight against Mendes. A myriad of unorthodox kicks were used from the outside, so he could not be hit. Like his last fight, McGregor will have a reach advantage on his opponent. Although not as great as his advantage with Chad, he still has a 4" advantage on Jose and this potentially means his kicks from the outside could be just as deadly as they were on July 11th.

Although being smaller and having less reach than McGregor, Aldo still has a bucketful of weapons coming into this bout. One of his most effective being his impeccable muay thai, and lighting quick hands. He leads mostly with jabs and straights from the outside, setting up 1-2s to keep his opponent at a distance, but at the same time setting himself up for combinations. Jose's leaping right hand could be the perfect counter for McGregor's lunging straight left, as the lunge may shift him off balance allowing Aldo to throw the right hand.

This title fight is inevitably one you can't miss. Although he is undefeated in 10 years, it is Aldo who is the underdog coming into this fight. McGregor recently said he predicts a KO inside four minutes, and sees Jose overreacting, over-extending at every move he makes. Are we to doubt him? As he says "he hasn't been wrong yet."