UFC 205, Alvarez vs. McGregor: Matches to make for winners
With UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor now in the books, here are some potential matches to make for some of the winners from the historic event.
With MMA now being legal in New York, the UFC brought their very first event to the Madison Square Garden. It’s safe to say that they kicked it off with a bang.
From the prelims, to the main card, every fight delivered something special. It was truly a historic night not only for the state, but for the sport of MMA. This event broke UFC records and it will truly go down as one of the best events in UFC history.
Credit has to be given to the fighters, who put on some great performances. In the next couple of slides, you’ll see some potential next matches for some of the winners.
Things are about to get very interesting, especially in the lightweight division.
Frankie Edgar
For the most part, Edgar looked pretty dominant against Jeremy Stephens. Stephens managed to catch him with a nice head kick that hurt him, but it was all Edgar in every other moment.
Like always, Edgar showed off heart and great wrestling. After dropping a decision loss to Jose Aldo at UFC 200, he’s back on track. He’s still one of the best featherweights in the world and deserves another big fight.
A match-up with Ricardo Lamas makes the most sense at this point. It’s unaware who Aldo will face next, but it’s most likely the winner of Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis. It also depends on what Conor McGregor decides to do next.
Khabib Nurmagomedov
It’s debatable that Nurmagomedov’s title shot is long overdue. People seem to discredit him due to the opponent’s he has faced and his inactivity. But tonight, he reminded people who he is.
Facing Michael Johnson, it was an extremely dominant performance by Nurmagomedov. He landed some solid shots on the feet, but it was his grappling that truly shined once again. He was able to get Johnson to the ground with ease and utilize vicious ground and pound. Eventually, he submitted him via kimura in the third round.
Right now, it’s between Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson for a title shot at lightweight. Both fighters definitely deserve it because of their winning streaks. We’ll have to see how things play out.
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 12: Yoel Romero of Cuba reacts after his KO victory over Chris Weidman of the United States (not pictured) in their middleweight bout during the UFC 205 event at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Yoel Romero
Romero is officially back and he’s just as good as we remember him. In his fight with Chris Weidman, both fighters had their moments. The first round, Weidman edged it out. He was able to land a few takedowns and he also landed some shots on the feet.
The second round is where Romero began to take over. He landed some nice kicks and got some takedowns of his own, including a great trip. When the third round started, Romero baited Weidman in. When Weidman went for the takedown, Romero countered with a vicious flying knee. He finished him off with some strikes on the ground.
Romero is undefeated in the UFC (8-0). His last three wins are over some of the best in the division (Lyoto Machida, Jacare Souza, and now Weidman). Jacare definitely deserves a shot, but Romero has a win over him. Let Jacare fight Luke Rockhold and let Romero challenge Michael Bisping for the title.
Raquel Pennington
Since her stint on The Ultimate Fighter, Pennington has just looked better and better. She’s currently on a four-fight win streak and even went to a split decision with former champion, Holly Holm.
In her fight against Meisha Tate, she was dominant for the majority of the three rounds. Tate was able to gain some control on the ground and landed some shots of her own. But, Pennington was more efficient with her strikes and she also threatened with some submissions. Pennington was just better overall.
There’s a few fights she can take next. It’s more than likely that Valentina Shevchenko will face Julianna Pena next. So, a fight with Cat Zingano makes a lot of sense for Pennington. She can also face the loser of Rousey/Nunes, which would really test her skills.
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 12: (R-L) Conor McGregor of Ireland punches Eddie Alvarez in their UFC lightweight championship fight in their UFC lightweight championship fight during the UFC 205 event at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Conor McGregor
McGregor came into this fight with Eddie Alvarez and did exactly what he said he would do. He’s now a two-weight world champion and has many options to choose from. But, let’s talk about the fight.
From beginning to end, McGregor absolutely dominated Alvarez. Alvarez was able to land some solid leg kicks and one solid punch, but that’s about it. It was all McGregor.
In the first round, McGregor managed to drop him twice with that signature left hand of his. He caught Alvarez being aggressive and capitalized with some vicious counters. In the second round, he did more of the same, shrugging off all takedowns attempts. The last counter was good enough to out Alvarez down and forced the referee to stop the action.
As stated before, McGregor is now a two-weight world champion. He holds both the UFC featherweight belt and the lightweight belt. According to UFC president Dana White, he’ll have to give up one of them, but only time will tell what happens next.
We think he looks much better at lightweight. We hope he does vacate the featherweight belt and stays at lightweight. His first defense should be against either Khabib Nurmagomedov or Tony Ferguson. A fight with Tyron Woodley seems like another option as well, although it’s unlikely.
Nov 12, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Joanna Jedrzejczyk (red gloves) before fighting against Karolina Kowalkiewicz (blue gloves) in their strawweight title bout during UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Jedrzejczyk has been a very dominant champion, but some of her title defenses are wars. In her rematch with Claudia Gadelha, it was a hard fought battle. But, she came out on top. The same can be said about her fight with Karolina Kowalkiewicz.
Coming into this bout, both fighters were of Polish descent. Both were fighting with a lot of pride on their shoulders to represent their country. Let’s just say that they’re both winners in this fight. Jedrzejczyk came out on top, but Kowalkiewicz definitely had her moments. The biggest highlight was when she rocked her and almost finished the fight.
But, Jedrzejczyk was able to maintain her composure. She was more efficient with her striking throughout the fight. She outpointed Kowalkiewicz for five rounds, taking the decision win and defending her title for the fourth time.
The UFC’s women’s strawweight division has a lot of talent. The fight that needs to happen is Jedrzejczyk vs. Jessica Andrade. Since dropping down a weight class, Andrade has looked like a world beater. She has picked up two dominant victories over Jessica Penne and most recently, Joanne Calderwood. There’s no doubt that she deserves the next shot at Jedrzejczyk.
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