UFC 194: McGregor KOs Aldo in 13 seconds to win featherweight title
Two established champions went down in very different ways at UFC 194 at the MGM Grand Garden on Saturday night.
Interim champion Conor McGregor unified the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight title with a 13-second knockout of champion Jose Aldo in the main event after middleweight challenger Luke Rockhold's drawn-out beating of Chris Weidman in the co-main event.
McGregor's one-punch knockout was stunning not because of the result, but the expediency. He landed a perfectly timed left cross as Aldo charged in with a wide left hook and knocked him cold.
"He's powerful and he's fast," McGregor said. "But precision beats power and timing beats speed, and that's what you saw today."
Aldo hadn't lost in more than a decade and had been the only featherweight champion in UFC history, though McGregor won the interim belt by beating Chad Mendes in July when Aldo was forced out of a scheduled fight against McGregor because of a rib injury.
The deposed champion immediately asked for a shot at redemption after losing on the first significant strike of the fight.
"I think we need a rematch," Aldo said. "It was really not a fight, so we need to get back in there."
It was the fastest finish in UFC title fight history, surpassing the 14-second submission by former women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey against Cat Zingano in February.
"I feel for Jose. He was a phenomenal champion. He deserved to go a little bit longer," McGregor said, though he added the end result would have been the same.
Rockhold took a bit longer to dispatch of the champion, but eventually capitalized on a huge mistake by Weidman late in the third round to capture the middleweight title on a fourth-round stoppage.
"It's indescribable," Rockhold said. "I can't even believe this is real right now."
With the fight fairly even, Weidman stepped out of his comfort zone and tried a spinning wheel kick late in a third round he appeared to be winning. Rockhold charged forward and dragged Weidman to the mat, marking the first time Weidman had been taken down in his professional career.
After quickly working to mount, Rockhold rained down punches for the final minute of the round, only stopping when the bell rang.
It was more of the same in the fourth round. Rockhold got Weidman down again and this time, referee Herb Dean stopped the fight as Rockhold connected with a series of right hands.
"You shouldn't be trying that kind of stuff on me," Rockhold said. "When I get top control on the ground, I'm on a whole other level."
Rockhold was surprised the fight wasn't stopped during the onslaught in the third. "I sucked it up and had to go another round, but whatever. All I care about is I've got the belt," he said. "And new!"
A battered Weidman didn't have much in the way of an explanation for the maneuver. "It probably wasn't the smartest move, but I just wanted to give it everything I had," he said.
Rockhold already was on his way to a potential victory before Weidman's ill-fated kick. After a close first round in which Weidman got an early takedown and took Rockhold's back before losing position on a submission attempt before Rockhold held on to a headlock for an extended period, the challenger took over in the second round.
Rockhold landed a big punch to start the round, then shrugged off a takedown attempt by the former All-American wrestler. Weidman showed some frustration late in the round with a big swing and miss on a right hand near the cage. Rockhold started to establish a rhythm with his left kicks, as well.
Weidman found more success early in the third, but Rockhold neutralized much of it. When Weidman got a takedown, Rockhold would get back up. When he'd land a punch, Rockhold would answer.
Then came the high-risk wheel kick.
"It's hard to take this all in. I went through hell to get here, but it's all worth it now," Rockhold said. "I thought the fight was going to be stopped in the third round, I actually wasn't sure if it was stopped or if the round ended. Chris being the champ he is came back hard in the fourth round, but I got the job done."
Weidman quickly put his first professional loss into perspective.
"It's Luke's night," he said. "At the end of the day, I'm going home to a family that loves me. My fans love me.
"All I can do now is work hard and get back in the gym."
— Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him: @adamhilllvrj
