Conor McGregor at UFC 194 – Dec. 12, 2015
Following his maiden UFC win, Aldo went on a remarkable run, reeling off six more title defenses, including a brilliant rematch with arguably his toughest rival to that point, Chad Mendes.
But despite his incredible title run, the fight that brought the most attention to Aldo’s stellar career ultimately proved to be the one that ended his title reign, as Conor McGregor finished the Brazilian with a one-punch knockout at UFC 194.
The build-up to the fight had been tetchy, as Aldo became increasingly irked by McGregor’s constant verbal jabs and jibes while the pair embarked on a promotional world tour. By the time the Brazilian found himself standing across the octagon from the ebullient Irishman, he was wound up and desperate to make McGregor pay.
But McGregor turned Aldo’s aggression to his own advantage when he brilliantly countered Aldo’s attempted leaping left hook with a rapid-fire left cross that knocked out the Brazilian in the blink of an eye.
It was one of the most stunning knockouts in UFC history, and McGregor was catapulted to superstardom, while Aldo was left crushed after seeing his 10-year unbeaten run ended in just 13 seconds.
Next up: Bouncing back