(PRESS RELEASE) -- Las Vegas - In the most anticipated matchup in UFC® history, two kings battle for one throne, as inaugural UFC featherweight champion and pound-for-pound great Jose Aldo returns to face newly-crowned interim champion Conor McGregor in the five-round main event of UFC 194®. Plus, undefeated middleweight champion Chris Weidman puts his spotless record on the line when he meets No. 1 contender Luke Rockhold in the co-main event. UFC 194®: ALDO vs. McGREGOR takes over the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, Dec. 12.
Ready to finally settle the score, Aldo returns to the Octagon® to prove he is the undisputed featherweight champion, while “The Notorious” intends to cement his claim as the true 145-pound world champion.
In the second half of this championship doubleheader, undefeated middleweight champion Chris Weidman (13-0, fighting out of Baldwin, N.Y.) will clash with former STRIKEFORCE® middleweight champion Luke Rockhold (14-2, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) in the co-main event. Having defeated former champions Anderson Silva (twice), Lyoto Machida and, most recently, Vitor Belfort, Weidman looks to add another name to his perfect record. Rockhold earned his crack at the title after racking up four stoppage victories, including impressive second-round submissions over Machida and Michael Bisping. This high-stakes bout has analysts wondering if this could be the greatest middleweight matchup in UFC history.
Plus, vying for the next shot at the 185-pound championship, No. 2 contender and former STRIKEFORCE middleweight champion Jacare Souza (22-3, 1NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) goes toe-to-toe with third-ranked Yoel Romero (10-1, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Pinar del Rio, Cuba), who is riding a six-fight unbeaten streak that includes five knockouts.
Additional bouts include:
· In a showdown between top-ranked welterweights, No. 6 Demian Maia (24-6, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) will look for a fourth straight win when he meets Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, No. 11 Gunnar Nelson (14-1-1, fighting out of Reykjavik, Iceland).
· In what promises to be an exciting featherweight scrap, fifth-ranked Max Holloway (14-3, fighting out of Waianae, Hawaii) takes on UFC veteran and eighth-ranked Jeremy Stephens (24-11, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.).
· MMA legend and former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber (32-8, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) returns to the bantamweight division to face No. 12 Frankie Saenz (11-2, fighting out of Scottsdale, Ariz.).
· The Ultimate Fighter® Season 20 standout and fifth-ranked strawweight contender Tecia Torres (6-0, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) meets former Invicta FC atomweight champion and 11th-ranked contender Michelle Waterson (13-4, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.), in a 115-pound bout.
· Undefeated rising contenders Warlley Alves (10-0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Colby Covington (8-0, fighting out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) square off in a welterweight bout.
· The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2 winner Leonardo Santos (14-4, 1NC, fighting out of Campos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) takes on surging lightweight star Kevin Lee (11-1, fighting out of Las Vegas.), a winner of four straight.
· Joe Proctor (11-3, fighting out of Bridgewater, Mass.) meets Russian prospect Magomed Mustafaev (12-1, fighting out of Sochi, Russia).
· Tristar Gym staple John Makdessi (12-4, fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada) battles exciting lightweight Yancy Medeiros (11-3, 1NC, fighting out of Makaha, Hawaii).
· The Ultimate Fighter Season 11 veteran Court McGee (16-4, fighting out of Orem, Utah) takes on The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 finalist Marcio Alexandre (13-2, fighting out of Florianopolis, Brazil) in a welterweight showdown.
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
Visit the UFC® Press Portal for additional information, media credential applications, and content to support your UFC coverage.
Tickets for UFC®194: ALDO vs. McGREGOR go on sale Friday, Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $1,253, $853, $603, $403, $278 and $178. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available at any MGM Grand box office. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.
UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Sept. 10 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
Get your VIP package today! The UFC VIP Experience packages together your tickets with behind-the-scenes access to the official weigh-ins, meet and greet and autograph signings with top UFC stars, Q&A sessions, and photo opportunities, access to an in-arena VIP hospitality room, a chance to hold the championship belt inside the Octagon® and more.
UFC 194 headlines an unprecedented three-day series of events in Las Vegas. Before Aldo and McGregor square off at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday night, UFC will host two nights of live action at The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. This includes a UFC FIGHT PASS® event (bouts to be announced soon) on Thursday, Dec. 10, followed up by The Ultimate Fighter®: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber Finale on Friday, Dec. 11. These three incredible events make Las Vegas the can’t-miss destination for fight fans this December.
UFC®194: ALDO vs. McGREGOR will be available live on Pay-Per-View on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Vubiquity, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, Rogers and Canal Indigo for a suggested retail price of $49.99 US/CAN for Standard Definition and $59.99 US/CAN for High-Definition.
About UFC®
UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 158 countries and territories to over one billion TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service that is available throughout the world with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.
About MGM Grand
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino is “The Entertainment Authority,” creating the ultimate Las Vegas experience. The hotel features the astonishing KÀ by Cirque du Soleil; Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club; master illusionist David Copperfield and world-class entertainment at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. MGM Grand offers signature restaurants by celebrity chefs including Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak, Michael Mina’s PUB 1842, Emeril Lagasse’s New Orleans Fish House, Wolfgang Puck’s Bar & Grill and Michelin three star and Forbes Five-Star restaurant, Joël Robuchon. The resort recently remodeled all of the rooms and suites in its main tower and launched the industry’s first-ever STAY WELL Collection. MGM Grand is home to many of today’s hottest DJs including Tiësto, Calvin Harris and Steve Aoki who share residencies between Hakkasan Las Vegas Restaurant and Nightclub and WET REPUBLIC, The Strip’s hottest day life destination. The hotel also features a state-of-the-art, non-smoking Five Green Key conference center, the Grand Spa, Cristophe Salon and an inviting six-acre pool complex. Upscale accommodations include SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand, an exclusive boutique luxury hotel within the hotel and The Signature at MGM Grand, a luxury all-suite, non-gaming hotel located adjacent to the main resort. MGM Grand is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information and reservations, visit mgmgrand.com, call toll free at (877) 880-0880 or find us on Facebook and Twitter.