Conor McGregor boasted again and again what would happen when Jose Aldo stood across from him in the octagon. But even the 27-year-old Irishman never went so far as to predict that Aldo, undefeated in 18 bouts going back to 2005, would be knocked out cold in 13 seconds.
That’s precisely what happened on Saturday night inside a rabid MGM Grand Garden Arena, where a swathe of McGregor’s countrymen gathered to watch a result many grew convinced, mostly through the power of McGregor’s demeanor and words, was inevitable.
But even the most hardcore of believers could not have envisioned McGregor smoothly slipping and parrying a righthand lead from the Brazilian, then coming across with an immaculately timed left that distorted Aldo’s jaw and flung him unconscious to the canvas.
It was, to be dramatic, the most Conor McGregor moment yet. And that’s saying something because during the Dubliner’s UFC career, now totalling seven fights since 2013, the “Notorious One” has produced many worth remembering.
“No power, just precision,” said a matter-of-fact McGregor, who reacted to the stunning victory as if it was simple destiny. “No speed, just timing. That’s all it takes. These are four-ounce gloves. That’s all it takes.”
A keen observer of movement and body mechanics, of numbers and sequences, McGregor has separated himself from the pack by going about things his own way. Leading up to the fight, he spoke of the 29 year-old Aldo, now 25-2 as a professional mixed martial artist, as just another opponent. This, according to the men who faced Aldo and lost, was preposterous. The Brazilian is athletically gifted. A speedy and hard puncher. A monster kicker. A black belt jiu-jitsu grappler. Again, though, it was McGregor who was proved correct. Ridiculously so.
“He’s strong and he’s fast but precision beats power and timing beats speed,” McGregor said, nary a hint of sweat on his brow. “I feel for Jose. He was a phenomenal champion. He deserved to go a little bit longer … It would have happened sooner or later.”
Aldo, bleeding from a cut on the bridge of his nose, slumped in his corner. This is a landmark moment not only for McGregor but for Zuffa, which promotes the UFC. After years of searching, the Las Vegas-based promotion finally has its first European superstar – one they can expect to sell out stadiums and produce mega-rich bouts for years to come.
Conor McGregor celebrates his victory over Jose Aldo. Photograph: Steve Marcus/Getty Images
In the moments prior to the left hand that shook up the MMA world, Aldo essentially ignored McGregor, who improved his record to 18-2. He never looked up at the pacing, jawing, smiling Irishman clad in tight green shorts. Aldo craned his neck and stared at the floor, confident, to be sure, that he would do what he had always done. He did this as they met for one more face to face opportunity in the center of the cage. And, against his will, he did so as he arched forward and collapsed to the canvas.
“I threw a punch and he came back with a cross. We need a rematch,” Aldo said. “It wasn’t a fight so we needed to get back in there.”
But it was a fight. And it was perfect. Not simply in its execution but in that it adds so much to the McGregor lore. Thirteen seconds. Against a man who hadn’t lost in over a decade. Yes, that happened.
The UFC will have options for McGregor. An Aldo rematch is marketable, especially so if they bring McGregor’s first undisputed title defense to Dublin. But McGregor has shown himself capable of selling any fight, and former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar may well be his next opponent. Edgar won his fifth straight fight at 145lbs on Friday night in Las Vegas, after which he was told by UFC president Dana White that he would get the next shot at the title.
The wild result capped a tremendous UFC 194 card in Las Vegas, which thanks to McGregor’s presence produced a $9m gate.
In a highly competitive co-headliner, UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman failed to retain his belt after California’s Luke Rockhold made the most of a terrible mistake on the part of the New Yorker.
The mistake came in round three, when Weidman, a straightforward and talented fighter who dethroned Anderson Silva in 2014, slung an ill-timed fight- and life-changing wheel kick. Weidman lacked the proper range to launch such an attack, and it set him up to be taken down to the canvas for the first time in his UFC career. Rockhold, a talented grappler and a former Strikeforce middleweight champion, throttled Weidman from the mount, busting up the New Yorker with punches and elbows that resulted in a bad cut on the forehead and a right eye that quickly swelled.
Luke Rockhold launches an attack on Chris Weidman. Photograph: Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
After swapping the first and second rounds, and with Rockhold logging a clearly dominant third period, Weidman was ready to be put away as the action headed to the championship rounds. Previously unbeaten in 13 fights, Weidman was taken down again by Rockhold and was forced to fight from his back. He didn’t answer the challenge, and Rockhold slammed hard punches into the former champion’s face before referee Herb Dean intervened at the 3:12 mark.
“He shouldn’t be trying that kind of stuff on me,” Rockhold said of Weidman’s failed kick, one of the worst championship fight mistakes in UFC history. “I knew if I got top control on him I believe I’m operating on another level than anyone.”
Rockhold said he suffered from a staph infection during the two weeks leading up to the fight and was on antibiotics, but his performance did not suggest he was off one bit. In fact it was Weidman who seemed to suffer more, showing signs of fatigue after a relatively good opening five minutes.
Rockhold (15-2) pressed the action in the second round, using his long legs to slam kicks to Weidman’s body and head. And though most were blocked, there was unquestionably a price to pay.
In the third, Weidman, 31, appeared to regain momentum. Then he threw the lazy kick, which required him to spin, though he barely did that allowing the challenger to grab him and rack up enough damage that the referee would not have been justified if he had stopped the contest there and then. Dean, however, did not. It was the right call considering Weidman’s pedigree, though there would be no rallying from this.
In the third, Weidman, 31, appeared to regain momentum. Then he threw the lazy kick, which required him to spin, though he barely did that allowing the challenger to grab him and rack up enough damage that the referee would not have been justified if he had stopped the contest there and then. Dean, however, did not. It was the right call considering Weidman’s pedigree, though there would be no rallying from this.
“I remember throwing that,” said Weidman, who was cut on in two places on his face by the time the savagery was done. “He caught me and brought me down with it. Probably wasn’t the smartest move. I’m going to go out here and give everything I have.
“If I lose it’s my day to lose.”
Rockhold may face Cuba’s Yoel Romero in his first defense. The powerful middleweight and Olympic judoka hung on to defeat Brazilian Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in the fight preceding Weidman’s first loss.
Defeat is something Aldo must now adapt to on a night when new blood – McGregor and Rockhold – reigned.
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