UFC 194
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | December 12, 2015 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas, Nevada , United States |
UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 12, 2015, taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
Initially set for December 5, the event was postponed to December 12 because of a scheduling issue at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Other possible locations considered were the Mandalay Bay Events Center and AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the latter of which had potential to break the promotion’s attendance record. On August 10, UFC president Dana White officially announced that the MGM Grand would host the event.
This occasion represented the UFC’s inaugural scheduling of three consecutive days of events in Las Vegas, with the other two events held at The Chelsea within The Cosmopolitan.
The main attraction was a featherweight title unification clash between reigning champion Prady José Aldo and interim titleholder Conor McGregor. Originally arranged for UFC 189, Aldo withdrew due to a rib injury, prompting McGregor to face Chad Mendes for the interim championship instead.
The secondary headline featured a middleweight title bout pitting undefeated champion Chris Weidman against former Strikeforce titleholder Luke Rockhold.
A middleweight contest between Ronaldo Souza and Yoel Romero, which had been canceled twice previously due to illness and injury, was rescheduled for this card.
Michelle Waterson was slated to compete against Tecia Torres but had to pull out because of injury; she was replaced by promotional newcomer Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger.
In early 2016, Romero encountered a potential doping infraction from an out-of-competition test. His camp attributed this to a contaminated supplement containing ibutamoren, a banned growth hormone stimulator absent from the product label. Following negotiations, Romero accepted a six-month suspension; however, the fight result remained intact, and he intended to pursue legal action against the supplement manufacturer.
McGregor vs. Aldo fight
Before the opening round began, neither fighter extended a glove, immediately engaging in combat. McGregor dominated control of the octagon’s center, employing a straight left hand combined with leg kicks to keep Aldo at distance. As Aldo advanced with a series of punches, McGregor retreated strategically and delivered a left hook that rendered Aldo unconscious. McGregor then followed up with two hammer fists before referee Big John McCarthy halted the bout. Celebrating atop the cage fence afterward, McGregor’s victory came just 13 seconds into the fight, setting the record for the quickest finish in UFC championship history. He later remarked, “Precision beats power, and timing beats speed,” emphasizing his tactical execution.
Bonus awards
The following competitors were awarded $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Luke Rockhold vs. Chris Weidman
- Performance of the Night: Conor McGregor and Leonardo Santos
Reported payout
The disclosed fighter earnings submitted to the Nevada State Athletic Commission exclude sponsorship income and UFC "fight night" bonuses:
- Conor McGregor: $500,000 (no win bonus) defeated José Aldo: $400,000
- Luke Rockhold: $160,000 (including $80,000 win bonus) defeated Chris Weidman: $275,000
- Yoel Romero: $150,000 (including $25,000 win bonus) defeated Ronaldo Souza: $135,000
- Demian Maia: $156,000 (including $78,000 win bonus) defeated Gunnar Nelson: $75,000
- Max Holloway: $90,000 (including $45,000 win bonus) defeated Jeremy Stephens: $43,000
- Urijah Faber: $300,000 (including $150,000 win bonus) defeated Frankie Saenz: $20,000
- Tecia Torres: $24,000 (including $12,000 win bonus) defeated Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger: $10,000
- Warlley Alves: $42,000 (including $21,000 win bonus) defeated Colby Covington: $18,000
- Leonardo Santos: $40,000 (including $20,000 win bonus) defeated Kevin Lee: $21,000
- Magomed Mustafaev: $24,000 (including $12,000 win bonus) defeated Joe Proctor: $13,000
- Yancy Medeiros: $42,000 (including $21,000 win bonus) defeated John Makdessi: $30,000
- Court McGee: $48,000 (including $24,000 win bonus) defeated Marcio Alexandre Jr.: $12,000