Conor McGregor became the first person in UFC history to hold two belts after beating Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 on Saturday.
Conor McGregor won the UFC Lightweight Championship by knocking out Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205: McGregor vs. Alvarez from Madison Square Garden in New York City. McGregor, also the featherweight champion, is the first fighter in UFC history to hold two belts simultaneously. Below is a full recap of the fight and the rest of the card.
Lightweight championship: Conor McGregor def. Eddie Alvarez via KO at 3:04 in Round 2
Round 2 update: Alvarez lands a nice kick to the body early and looks like he has his confidence back, but McGregor is so dangerous. Alvarez goes in for a combo, misses, and McGregor lands a straight left that staggers him. Alvarez shakes it off, then goes for a takedown but McGregor shrugs it off. McGregor starts taunting Alvarez by holding his hands behind his back, and then lands a side kick to the body. McGregor connects on a one-two and Alvarez connects on a big loops right hook, but misses on two other hooks and takes a big shot from McGregor before quickly clinching up.
They clinch against the cage with three minutes to go. Alvarez is working a takedown but not making much progress on it. McGregor lands the left straight a couple times, and looks like he’s toying with Alvarez. He then lands a huge combo of left and right hooks that send Alvarez to the ground. The referee jumped in to stop the fight before McGregor could brutalize Alvarez.
Round 1 update: Both fighters take the middle of the octagon and Alvarez lands two big inside leg kicks in the first few seconds. McGregor is immediately talking and shaking his head. Alvarez lunges for a combo and McGregor steps aside and clocks him with a huge shot, dropping him. Alvarez looked really hurt, but somehow popped up immediately. When he got back on his feet, though, he didn’t look quite as eager to engage. He went for a takedown that McGregor shrugged off.
Alvarez, to his credit, did start to come back in, throwing and missing a huge right uppercut. But after some more exchanges, McGregor lands a huge left straight that drops Alvarez again. McGregor went down to the north-south position and threw some body shots. He eventually postured up and started raining down. He got to his feet and McGregor threw another shot as he backed up with about two minutes left in the round. McGregor seems ready for every single shot by Alvarez and counters perfectly. McGregor lands a couple straight lefts and just misses with a huge left hook. One minute to go in the round. The round eventually came to an end, clearly in McGregor’s favor.
Welterweight championship: Tyron Woodley draws Stephen Thompson via majority decision (47-47, 47-47, 48-47)
Round 5 update: Thompson rushes out to take the center of the octagon and throws a head kick that Woodley blocks. He tries a switch kick that Woodley also blocks. Thompson throws a good punching combination and lands a few. Woodley is backing up into the cage again and Thompson keeps throwing head kicks. None are landing big but Woodley looks like he might have lost a lot trying to squeeze out Thompson with the guillotine. Woodley tries to push with a shot and Thompson steps aside and lands a nice right straight, followed by a solid one-two. He keeps tagging Woodley with short shots that aren’t doing a lot of damage. Woodley seems tired with 1:30 to go in the fight. Woodley rushes again and Thompson steps aside, and lands a one-two-three. Not a lot of damage being done here by Thompson but he’s landing, while Woodley is not. Thompson lands a huge right in the final 10 seconds and another that staggers Woodley as time expires. It’s clearly a Thompson round but this was a very close fight.
Bruce Buffer had to go to double check the scores after the fight, then announced it incorrectly as a win for Woodley via split decision, but it was ultimately corrected to a majority draw.
Round 4 update: Both fighters take the center and Woodley throws a left hand that Thompson manages to avoid. Thompson lands a leg kick of his own, while Woodley is just searching for his opportunity. Woodley uncorks a huge right hand that drops Thompson with just under two minutes to go. Thompson pops back up and even throws some shots, but it’s clear he’s hurt. Woodley knocks him down with another one and swarms, landing shot after shot. Thompson is bloodied as Woodley throws several knees.
Thompson falls down and Woodley transitions to a guillotine. Thompson looked completely out on his feet at one point but the referee did not stop the fight and Thompson survived. Woodley keeps the guillotine position and eventually drops down and gets it in tight. Thompson fights trying to get out with two minutes to go, but Woodley has it tight. Somehow Thompson keeps himself conscious and it looks like he’s going to escape. Thompson throws punches from inside the guillotine with a minute to go and Thompson gets his head free in full guard. Thompson throws some ground and pound but none of it is very effective. Woodley is punching from the bottom as the round comes to an end. The round has to go to Woodley, though Thompson pushed it through to the fifth.
Round 3 update: This time it’s Woodley who takes the center of the octagon, perhaps realizing he was backing into the cage far too much in previous rounds, limiting his own movement and ability to shoot. But Woodley also isn’t really looking to shoot through the first two minutes of the fight, trying to stand with Thompson instead. Thompson lands a nice combo that included a body shot and then a nice one-two combo at the midway point of the round. Thompson looks for a wheel kick, but Woodley is still wise to the kicks. It’s the punches he’s having trouble with. Woodley circles well and lands a huge leg kick that stumbles Thompson with a minute to go. The leg kick looks to be affecting Thompson, and Woodley should probably throw more of them. The two exchange at the end of the round, and it seems like a Woodley round.
Round 2 update: Thompson again takes the center of the octagon right out of the gate while Woodley circles around and waits for a kick from the karate expert. Woodley is very clearly cautious and wary of Thompson’s kicks, and the strategy is not allowing Thompson to engage. Thompson goes to throw a punch combo and Woodley clinches him into the cage to retaliate. Woodley throws some nice knees to Thompson’s legs and there’s a bit of dirty boxing, but nothing of significance lands and they disengage at the midway point of the round. Woodley tries to rush forward with a combo of his own, but Thompson sidesteps. Thompson lands a spinning kick to the midsection, but Woodley shakes it off. Woodley keeps backing himself into the cage, which seems like it will catch up with him eventually. Thompson lands a jab to the body and he lands some low kicks as well. He’s being much more active than Woodley in the final minute of the fight, though Woodley throws a huge straight right that just misses as Thompson backs up. The round comes to an end and it’s possible Thompson took the round.
Round 1 update: Thompson takes the center of the cage but both make it through the first minute without throwing any strikes, save for a quick head kick that misses from Thompson. Another head kick is thrown by Thompson a little over a minute in, but Woodley narrowly avoids it. Thompson throws another kick two minutes in and this time Woodley, the wrestler, catches it and secures a takedown into half guard. This is where Woodley wants to be, as he tries to transition to side control. He can’t get it, but he tries to get the arm triangle. Thompson defends well and it gets to one minute left in the round, but nobody has done any damage to this point. Woodley controls and uses his strength to remain on top of Thompson. Woodley stops trying to transition and lays down some huge elbows that cut Thompson big time in the final seconds. Woodley goes into a standing guard and delivers another big elbow to close out the round, leaving Thompson bloody. It’s a pretty clear round for Woodley.
Women’s Strawweight championship: Joanna Jędrzejczyk def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
Round 5 update: The two meet in the middle and touch gloves for the final round of the fight. Both are engaging and throwing combos right out of the gate, with at least 20 strikes thrown in the first 20 seconds. Kowalkiewicz probably needs to finish to win the fight, and it looks like both fighters know it as Jędrzejczyk clinches against the cage before the two disengage. Jędrzejczyk continues to do better work with her kicks, landing a leg kick and then a push kick to the midsection. The two exchange huge combinations at the 2:30 mark, with Jędrzejczyk landing some huge shots and Kowalkiewicz shrugging them off. It looked like Jędrzejczyk landed with the same force that Kowalkiewicz used to drop her in the previous round, but Kowalkiewicz has a remarkable chin. The two tie up in the clinch again, Jędrzejczyk taking control and landing some knees, but it looks more like she is stalling. They disengage with Jędrzejczyk throwing a big kick, and the round ends with Kowalkiewicz pushing hard. It was close, but probably will go to Jędrzejczyk.
Round 4 update: Kowalkiewicz continues to press forward but she’s just as ineffective as she was in earlier rounds ... that is until just under two minutes into the round, when Kowalkiewicz finally connects on one of her flurries and Jędrzejczyk is stunned. Kowalkiewicz pushes Jędrzejczyk into the cage and tries to finish but Jędrzejczyk clinches up and tries to take Kowalkiewicz down. She secures the takedown, but they get back up immediately in the clinch at the cage, with Kowalkiewicz holding her down. Jędrzejczyk looked recovered at the two-minute mark but Kowalkiewicz continued to press forward with renewed energy. Jędrzejczyk throws a nice knee in the final minute, but she continues to be on the defensive while Kowalkiewicz pushes the pace. Jędrzejczyk closes the round with a combination, but it’s possible Kowalkiewicz won the round.
Round 3 update: Neither fighter looks slowed down, but Kowalkiewicz is more worn of the two. She can’t seem to set up anything big on Jędrzejczyk, who has an answer for everything Kowalkiewicz throws. Jędrzejczyk lands some good low kicks at the two-minute mark, and lands a nice push kick a few seconds later. The two tie up again and clinch against the cage, with Kowalkiewicz glancing up at the clock. The path to victory for Kowalkiewicz is unclear at this point. In the clinch, Jędrzejczyk lands a nice knee and an elbow before Kowalkiewicz pushes her against the cage. They disengage around the time the round came to an end, with Jędrzejczyk landing an elbow near the end and Kowalkiewicz failing to put together a combination.
Round 2 update: Jędrzejczyk looks a lot more fluid in the standup, and neither fighter is showing that she wants to take it down to the ground. Kowalkiewicz is throwing and pushing her opponent, but nothing is landing and Jędrzejczyk has not yet looked flustered. The second round continues much as the first did, with Jędrzejczyk countering well and combos thrown by both fighters, but nothing huge landing. Kowalkiewicz pinned Jędrzejczyk against the cage with 40 seconds to go, but the champion quickly reversed and threw some nice elbows against the cage. Jędrzejczyk is clearly doing the long-term damage in the round. She narrowly missed a head kick in the final seconds and the round comes to an end with Jędrzejczyk throwing a leg kick. She probably took that round.
Round 1 update: The two come out and look like they want to keep the fight standing. They both throw jabs and winging hooks, and both go for leg kicks. Kowalkiewicz threw multiple flurries, but Jędrzejczyk weathered the initial onslaught before countering her own. Through the first two minutes some strikes had been landed, mostly from Jędrzejczyk, though no serious damage had been done. The two circle and throw light attacks for the next couple minutes, with them tying up in the clinch in the final minute. They separate and, again, they continue to throw. Kowalkiewicz lands some, but Jędrzejczyk lands far more and probably took the round.
Yoel Romero def. Chris Weidman via TKO at 0:24 of Round 3
Round 3 update: Romero comes out throwing a massive flying knee and it sends Weidman right to the mat. Blood poured out of his head as Romero swarmed and the referee called the match. Weidman went down for a takedown at the same time Romero scored the knee.
Round 2 update: Romero covered himself with water between rounds and the referee had to towel him off before starting the round. Weidman misses a takedown and throws a nice leg kick in the first minute of the round. The two circle to try and find their range, but nobody is landing through the first two minutes. Weidman landed a knee to the body and also a finger to Romero’s eye, causing the fight to stop briefly. When they resumed, Romero threw a huge leg kick, but Weidman caught it and countered with a head kick that didn’t quite land. The two engage again and Romero kicks Weidman’s leg out from under him with a quick takedown. Weidman gets up and Romero takes his back against the cage with a little over a minute to go. Not a whole lot happened in the final minute. It’s possible Romero took the round.
Round 1 update: Weidman goes for a takedown early, but doesn’t get much out of it. The two are testing each other’s range quite a bit, with Weidman looking maybe a little tentative. Weidman goes for another takedown and Romero rolls out of it effectively then attempts to throw a heavy left strike of his own. With under a minute to go, Weidman secures a takedown but Romero gets up quickly, though Weidman took his back. The two were standing at that point, and the round came to an end. It was a close round.
Raquel Pennington beats Miesha Tate via unanimous decision
Round 3 update: The fight went to the ground quickly, with Tate on the bottom and Pennington transitioning between full guard and standing guard. Tate was looking for a submission, be it an armbar or something else. But Pennington defends well, and stayed in control throughout the round. They got up to their feet and clinched, but there Pennington was in control. She controlled the entire round, landing far more strikes than Tate and the round came to an end.
Round 2 update: Pennington looks a lot more confident on the feet, and lands three very stiff jabs in the first minute. Tate’s face starts to show signs of the attack, and she throws wildly after the first minute, but misses. They grapple against the cage for a time, with Tate the aggressor, but with Pennington flips the script with about two minutes left in the round. Tate lands some knees from the clinch, but hasn’t done much damage to Pennington throughout the round. Tate lands a nice right hand in the closing seconds, but Pennington also scored another stiff jab. The round came to an end, and it probably goes to Pennington based on damage.
Round 1 update: The opening minutes of the fight saw the two exchange shots on the feet but mostly play it safe. They circled and tested each other’s range before Tate went for a takedown with a couple minutes left in the round. Tate didn’t get the takedown and instead put herself in a very dangerous position with Pennington locked in a very tight guillotine. Fortunately for Tate, she managed to escape and secure a brief takedown. The fight returned to the feet where the two grappled against the cage. The round came to an end, and it was very hard to call.
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In the preliminary card, the highlights were Jim Miller earning a unanimous decision win over Thiago Alves and both Tim Boetsch and Vicente Luque scoring first-round knockouts over Rafael Natal and Belal Muhammad, respectively. Finally, a three-round war between Frankie Edgar and Jeremy Stephens ended in favor of Edgar via unanimous decision.
Main Card results
Lightweight championship: Conor McGregor def. Eddie Alvarez via KO at 3:04 in Round 2
Welterweight championship: Tyron Woodley draws Stephen Thompson via majority decision (47-47, 47-47, 48-47)
Women’s Strawweight championship: Joanna Jędrzejczyk def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
Middleweight: Yoel Romero def. Chris Weidman via TKO at 0:24 of Round 3
Women’s Bantamweight: Raquel Pennington def. Miesha Tate via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Fox Sports 1 Prelims results
Featherweight: Frankie Edgar def. Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Lightweight: Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Michael Johnson via submission (kimura) at 2:31 of Round 3
Middleweight: Tim Boetsch def. Rafael Natal via TKO (punches) at 3:22 of Round 1
Welterweight: Vicente Luque def. Belal Muhammad via KO (punches) at 1:19 of Round 1
Fight Pass Prelims results
Catchweight (162.6 lbs): Jim Miller def. Thiago Alves via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Women’s Bantamweight: Liz Carmouche def. Katlyn Chookagian via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)