The best part about a great card with memorable moments like UFC 194 is that it's really easy to just pick something out and write about it with ease. But to paraphrase Lay's potato chips, "You can't just write one." And I've been racking my brain since Sunday thinking about how I can bust out as many post-fight articles as possible, but it's just way too time-consuming to pull off.

So instead of churning out several op-ed posts about so many 194-related things that are flowing through my mind, I've opted to just shorten all of them and combine it into one, thereby successfully organizing a scattered mess of takes.

Jose Aldo's time in the UFC has been great. It could've been greater.

I think it's safe to say that no dominant UFC champion has ever lost their belt as embarrassingly as Jose Aldo has, and that includes Ronda Rousey getting crushed by Holly Holm just last month. Rousey's defeat was shocking in its one-sided nature, but within the context of her actual skillset, we knew she was flawed. Her athletic gifts generally made those flaws moot before Holm arrived on scene.

Aldo was rightfully considered one of the best in the world and one of the most complete fighters in all of MMA. Whether it's his brutal leg kicks, sensational takedown defense, reflexes, head movement, speed, balance, precision, power, cool nickname, you name it, he had it. That's what made the McGregor fight so fascinating to analyze. There were so many unknowns that this contest was supposed to reveal. How would Conor deal with Aldo's kicks? Would McGregor have to engage with Aldo on the ground? Would Aldo have an answer for McGregor's angles and volume? And none of it happened, because Conor punched Jose in the face and that was the end of it. The only question answered on Saturday was, "Conor McGregor hits accurately and really hard, would Jose Aldo's chin be able to handle it?"

It's a crushing way to lose and it's quite clearly the lowest point of what has to be considered an unstable UFC career for Jose Aldo. Fans who watched WEC Aldo expected UFC Aldo to be like WEC Aldo. And why wouldn't they? WEC Aldo finished 7 of his 8 opponents, including the double flying knee of doom vs. Cub Swanson, and the one fight that went to a decision ended with Urijah Faber having Barney the Dinosaur's legs. He was must-see TV at all times.

But UFC Aldo hasn't been WEC Aldo, and while I don't consider his UFC tenure a disappointment -- he still defended his title 7 times, of which 3 won FOTN honors -- it's had its fair share of disappointing moments that have had a negative impact on his success. His scheduled fights vs. Josh Grispi (UFC 125), Erik Koch (UFC 149), Frankie Edgar (UFC 153), Chad Mendes (UFC 176), and Conor McGregor (UFC 189) were all scrapped due to Aldo injuries. UFC 176 was ultimately cancelled, and 153 was in trouble until Anderson Silva offered to "save" the card that Jon Jones probably ruined. On a non-Aldo injury note, Aldo vs. Anthony Pettis (UFC 163) nearly happened, but Pettis withdrew and Aldo went on to beat Chan Sung Jung in a fight marred by TKZ's fight-ending shoulder injury.

So when you combine his lack of highlight-reel finishes -- I believe fans have overlooked the superior opposition he's fought in the UFC compared to WEC -- with numerous fight cancellations, as well as a lack of English-speaking abilities (which affected his media visibility in North America), he never got off the ground as a North American star.

Another major aspect of Aldo's UFC stint is the hit his public perception has taken in 2015. He's been highly vocal about fighter pay, the Reebok deal, and Dana White, who flat out said Aldo didn't have a broken rib before UFC 189. All of this while McGregor trash-talked, mocked, and painted Aldo as a villain -- if the 194 post-fight interview is anything to go by, it was clearly to promote the fight -- so while Jose may be a hero in Brazil, it sure didn't feel that way anywhere else.

This is neither the end of Aldo's career nor an assumption that he will never recover from this, but in the one (and probably only) fight of his career where he could display his tremendous abilities to a wide-reaching audience, he was put to sleep faster than downing any bottle of NyQuil can accomplish. His Chael Sonnen-esque foil was found, but unlike Chael, Conor got the job done. As an Aldo fan, it's sad to see 6 years of awe-inspiring dominance of the best 145ers crumble in 13 seconds, and while history should peg him as one of the all-time greats of the sport, I'm not sure if fans will remember him as such.

Conor McGregor is the Fighter of the Year

The only potential argument you could make for someone other than McGregor to be MMA's Fighter of the Year is Holly Holm, but McGregor's strength of schedule alone tips the scales in his favor. But looking past the actual wins and the quality of his performances, McGregor has become a PPV star in unprecedentedly quick time. If you recall, his PPV debut vs. Dustin Poirier was on a card that only drew 200,000 buys, admittedly because Mighty Mouse was headlining it in place of Jones vs. Cormier. His stardom was rising but he wasn't established as a North American draw, that is until this year.

In January, McGregor's win over Dennis Siver drew record ratings for Fox Sports 1, peaking at a staggering 3.1 million viewers in the main event. The UFC's concerted efforts to begin the McGregor push came during the NFL playoffs, and it all came together perfectly. They pushed Conor to a mainstream audience, Conor blasted the capable but clearly non-threatening Siver, and then cut a superb promo by climbing the cage and screaming at a stone-faced Aldo in the front row.

Despite Aldo vs. McGregor falling through at July's UFC 189, the UFC took a huge risk and kept McGregor on the card against Chad Mendes, a highly formidable foe who'd been beaten only by Aldo himself. McGregor won by TKO, saved the superfight, and the PPV was a massive success. The UFC didn't lose any momentum from the fight being pushed back to December, and when judgment day arrived, McGregor dethroned the king in record-setting fashion. Gate numbers for 194 eclipsed $10 million, setting a new record in Nevada previously held by ... Conor McGregor vs. Chad Mendes ($7.2 million).

So to summarize: McGregor's UFC debut began on the Facebook prelims of a Fuel TV (now modern day FS2) card in 2013. He now holds the record for most-watched FS1 Fight Night, as well as 1st and 2nd place in highest grossing UFC gates in Nevada. His reported salary for his win over Holloway in August 2013 was $12,000/$12,000. The next year he made $75,000/$75,000 in the Poirier fight, then bumped to $85,000/$85,000 vs. Siver to start 2015, before consecutive PPVs where he pulled in a flat $500,000 (no win bonus) purse with assumed PPV points.

McGregor's 2015 should be put on a pedestal with the likes of Shogun's 2005 and Jones' 2011 for single most successful year any MMA fighter has ever put together. You can debate quality of opposition among those three all you want, but Conor's financial surge is astonishing. He was making slightly above the minimum base pay in 2013, and now he's a multi-millionaire and arguably the UFC's single most valuable asset. And yes, I put him ahead of Rousey, if only because it is far more likely that McGregor fights for at least 3-5 more years while maintaining his star power, regardless of whether or not he keeps winning or loses at least once. Think of McGregor as Nick Diaz with an even larger and more passionate fanbase. McGregor is just about at a point where the actual result seldom matters because he's so captivating to a segment of the viewing audience, and less like Rousey, whose stock could tank for good if the rematch with Holm ends in another L.

Jacare vs. Romero should've been 5 rounds

Brandon Vera fought Paul Cheng at ONE Championship on Friday. That was scheduled for five rounds because it was a title fight. I have no idea who Paul Cheng is, but chances are he's not even a top 40 heavyweight if you were to do global MMA rankings.

Jacare Souza and Yoel Romero are two of the top 5 middleweights in the world, and they were fighting for a title shot against the Weidman vs. Rockhold winner. Their bout was only 3 rounds because it was neither a title fight nor the main event. It ended in a split decision win for Romero, but finishing just when Jacare was able to establish his offense in the 3rd.

That sucks.

I've been demanding an increase in five-round non-titles in the UFC for quite some time (and before me, it was ex-Bloody Elbow editor Mike Fagan) and I will not let up until it actually happens. It makes no sense for elite fighters to be restricted to 3 rounds while any regional promotion can make 5 round fights with far inferior talent. Imagine if Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin didn't hold any titles, they fight anyway, but it's only a 10-rounder instead of a 12-rounder because there was no belt on the line. And by the way, that Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV bout where Pacquiao got KO'd? That was 12 rounds, non-title.

If you're worried an increase in 5 round non-titles will lead to a rise in decisions, don't. All but 6 of the first 30 five-round non-titles ended in a finish. This year saw 18 of 25 (72%) non-title five-rounders end in a stoppage. In 2014, it was 23/33 (69.6%). And if it happens, then so what? I'd rather watch elite fighters for up to 60% additional time, even if the fight ends up not being that good. A five round fight would certainly have benefited Jacare, who would've had more time to overcome the scorecard of one judge who gave Romero a 10-8 1st round.

It's a tricky path to determining what and what shouldn't be a five-rounder, but I think any bout between two top 5 fighters, or any fight specifically designated as a title eliminator (for whatever little that's worth when the UFC dubs it so), should be granted five-round status. If they're angling for a title shot then they're going to have to prepare for it anyway, so why wait until an actual championship bout?

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Also on my mind but cut out due to time: Herb Dean completely blew the ending of Rockhold vs. Weidman round 3; there's literally nothing compelling past the Team Alpha Male storyline about an actual fight between Urijah Faber and T.J. Dillashaw; Demian Maia is one of the best fighters to never win a major MMA title; legalize fence grabs but start adding electric wiring; Magomed Mustafaev is ridiculously violent.

Onward to the final UFC Saturday of 2015.