Official Fight Card:
| Weight Class
|
|||
| Lightweight | Eddie Alvarez (Champion) | vs | Conor Mcgregor (Featherweight* Champion)
|
| Welterweight | Tyron Woodley (Champion) | vs | Stephen Thompson
|
| Women’s Strawweight | Joanna Jedrzejczyk (Champion) | vs | Karolina Kowalkiewicz
|
| Middleweight | Chris Weidman | vs | Yoel Romero
|
| Welterweight | Donald Cerrone | vs | Kevin Gastelum
|
| Lightweight | Khabib Nurmagomedov | vs | Michael Johnson
|
| Featherweight | Frankie Edgar | vs | Jeremy Stephens
|
| Middleweight | Tim Kennedy | vs | Rashad Evans
|
| Women’s Bantamweight | Miesha Tate | vs | Raquel Pennington
|
| Middleweight | Tim Boetsch | vs | Rafael Natal
|
| Lightweight | Jim Miller | vs | Thiago Alves
|
| Welterweight | Lyman Good
|
vs | Belal Muhammad |
| Women’s Bantamweight | Liz Carmouche | vs | Katlyn Chookagian |
Less than a day after the official announcement of the main event, UFC 205 held its first press conference in Madison Square Garden. 205 will be the first UFC event to be held in New York City and the first event to be hosted in New York State following its MMA ban which was revoked in early 2016.
The event is headlined to be a bout between Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez and Featherweight champion “the Notorious” Conor McGregor for the UFC Lightweight Championship. The fight was first to be rumoured following a callout from Eddie Alvarez after he defeated Rafael Dos Anjos. Without a doubt, this will be one of the most exciting fights of the year as both fighters have stakes on the line. For Eddie Alvarez, a loss would mean a failure to have never defended his title. Meanwhile, a loss for McGregor would be a failure to achieve his dream of becoming the first UFC fighter to hold two belts in two weight divisions.
Above: Eddie Alvarez (left) faces off Conor McGregor (right)
The co-main events will be Tyron Woodley defending his welterweight title for the first time against five time kick boxing champion and current number two welterweight Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. The other co-main event will feature two undefeated fighters with Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk against number two-ranked fighter Karolina Kowalkiewicz.
Above: UFC president Dana White struggles to keep strawweights Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Karolina Kowalkiewicz apart
All fighters had a lot to say during the first press conference with boos, chants, cheers and roars heard from the crowd. A typical Conor McGregor was once again the star of the show, throwing jabs and criticising Alvarez’s “chin” throughout the conference. However, Alvarez called the impetuous Irishman as an “easy fight”, and the Notorious had a unlike standpoint.
“You’re blessed,” McGregor said. “You’re blessed that I chose you. You’re blessed that I chose to whoop your ass next. Say it like it (expletive) is. … I’ve been whooping his style – that style, I’ve been whooping that style a long time. He’s a stalky, stuffed wrestler with an overhand. That’s it. I’ve been beating these guys up forever. One round you’re going to sleep. (Expletive) you and your coach.’”
As expected, both Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor not only governed the conversation during the media gathering, but the pair also received the greatest noise during their intense stare down.
With many to believe as one of the most if not the biggest card in the promotions history, this event will no doubt be a definite one to watch. UFC 205 takes place November 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass, though the bout order hasn’t been finalised.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by commenting below.
– Written by Peter Hoang
