UFC 205, Alvarez vs McGregor: Things we learned
UFC 205 in New York City was one of the greatest events in MMA history. Here we take a look at the biggest lessons from an historic evening.
It was here, and then it was gone. But UFC 205 will leave a lasting imprint on the sport of MMA. The UFC’s first major event in New York City made a strong case to the rest of the world. The case for why this is the most intriguing and exciting sport around today.
But what did we learn from the experience?
Santa Claus still exists, and we should believe in him now more than ever
All of Eddie Alvarez’ talk about crushing the dreams of Conor McGregor fans were made to look silly. McGregor made history. Again. Perhaps it was inevitable. But the Dubliner certainly had his doubters, all of whom were brutally laid to rest in his post-fight tirade. Well, for the time being at least.
What we witnessed at UFC 205 was something special — it was made even more special by the fact the Irishman barely broke a sweat in the process. McGregor made it look easy. Too easy. He was masterful and elegant. And it isn’t very often you can use the word “elegant” in fighting.
Combine that with the fact Alvarez had never been finished by KO in his entire career, and you have a pretty impactful portrait.
Those wars with Nate Diaz were the best things that ever happened to McGregor. He has developed as a fighter in a way that might not have been possible without the little check of the ego supplied by his loss to Diaz.
A momentous evening in MMA was capped off fittingly by the man who has brought more eyes to the sport than anyone else. Considering the respect Alvarez has among his fellow UFC fighters, and how many of those fighters were betting against McGregor, it will be interesting to see if they change their minds now.
Who knows. Probably not. In many ways, McGregor laid the blueprint fighters now use to attack him. But now it will be more difficult to disregard him than ever.
Tyron Woodley’s lack of confidence is still an issue
It’s difficult to find negatives in such a great encounter. As fans, we got what we wanted. A hell of a fight. Yet, there remains something melancholic surrounding Tyron Woodley. There was some controversy, as Bruce Buffer announced the wrong decision. Originally, he declared Woodley had won a majority decision when in fact it was a majority draw.
Either way, Woodley keeps his title. But even when he thought he’d won, there was no enthusiasm in his celebrations. He seemed troubled, and his interview responses were glum. Not the mark of a man who’d retained his championship at UFC 205 in Madison Square Garden.
Clearly, he was disappointed with the draw and his performance. But in a fight many thought he would lose, he claimed two rounds, nearly finished the fight and put a real beating on one of the most skilled strikers in the world of martial arts. Moreover, he left the Octagon with little, if any, damage.
But it wasn’t just his demeanor after the bout that was concerning. He seemed to doubt himself throughout the fight. For long periods, he looked confused and uncertain in his own abilities. This apprehension almost cost him his title.
Perhaps the negativity directed toward him by fans is affecting him more than we realized –Woodley is sensitive, whether he’ll admit it or not. That’s why I like him. But he should feel no shame at this performance. There’s more to come from him yet.
Yoel Romero won, but remains one of the most polarizing figures in MMA
I had a feeling Yoel Romero would spoil the party for the New York natives. All was going well for Chris Weidman on his way to victory. And then it happened. The nastiest knee since the one Michael Page delivered to Cyborg Santos.
Thankfully, Weidman didn’t sustain a major injury. And his head fully deserves a fight bonus.
Romero should be commended for his finish. It was spectacular, and something very few human beings are capable of. However, this crowning moment was overshadowed by his obnoxious and unusual antics afterward. I’m not sure what he was doing, but I didn’t like it. Most fighters nicknames aren’t taken that seriously — they’re just a bit of added fun. Not for Yoel Romero, who really believes he’s a “Soldier of God.” Hence the marching and salutes in the wake of his victory.
I don’t know. Maybe he is. Who am I to question God’s recruitment policies? But the Lord should definitely work on toning down his soldier’s celebrations in boot camp.
A fight against Michael Bisping appears to be on the horizon, and that isn’t a fight to be sniffed at. Although the Englishman did say he would refuse to fight the “cheating” Romero, so we’ll have to wait and see. Speaking of cheating, Romero also performed his pouring water all over himself trick, forcing the fight to be delayed while the referee toweled him down.
His team should just bring super soakers with them next time. Why not?
Poland should be proud of its champion and its contender
Joanna Jedrzejczyk retained her strawweight title at UFC 205, but it wasn’t always as comfortable as she would’ve liked. Her Polish counterpart Karolina Kowalkiwiecz fought valiantly, and at one point looked to pull off the biggest upset of the night. The champion recovered, but her face told a tale of a battle well fought.
Jedrzejczyk undeniably deserved her victory, and she’ll get the praise she deserves. But what matters is the significance of having two female European fighters battling it out on the biggest stage of them all. The crowd reacted accordingly, and Kowalkiwiecz got a louder applause than the defending champion.
A battle of skills, endurance and heart — they performed in each department. Jedrzejczyk brought her immense volume, accuracy and silky combinations. Kowalkiwiecz brought her unique style, her patience and her resilience. Together, they created one of the finest strawweight fights to date.
The event would not have felt as historic without these two women battling it out. UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden was about moving MMA forward, and these two Polish women are at the pinnacle of that progression.
It was a proud moment for women’s fighting, and it was an even prouder moment for Poland.
The lightweight division should be wary of Khabib Nurmagomedov
I was almost lost for words. After everything that’s happened over these past few weeks, everything that’s happened over these past few years. Well, none of it mattered.
The main criticism of Khabib Nurmaomedov heading into UFC 205 was that he hadn’t fought enough of the top ranked guys in the division. He had immense pressure upon him to prove his skills against another top-level fighter. The Russian did that, and then some. And then some more. And probably a little more after that, too.
Extensive dragged out demolitions like that are both beautiful and difficult to watch.
After Tony Ferguson stylistically outwitted Rafael dos Anjos last week, Nurmagomedov knew he had to put on a performance to reaffirm himself as the No. 1 contender. Now the UFC has a real decision to make. But with the Russian attacking Conor McGregor, his fans and the whole of Ireland in his post-fight interview, Dana White will see the dollar signs lighting up.
Nurmagomedov made a statement behind the scenes, and in the cage. The Russian decided to partake in the publicity circus after his fight, and it worked perfectly. The rant he went on following his fight was disjointed and hilarious. The Eagle flew from the safety of his nest, and he was rewarded with extensive press coverage.
“What do you say about a 24 fight win streak?” he asked. Well, I say #Khabibtime.
Frankie Edgar is still a force to be reckoned with
Following his disappointing second loss to Jose Aldo at UFC 200, Frankie Edgar was left in an unusual position. We felt his frustration. It was disheartening. Once more he was kicked slightly back from where he wants to be. Where does he go from here? Does he drop down to bantamweight and try his luck there?
That feeling of being out of range would damage the morale of most fighters. But Edgar isn’t like most fighters. He responded emphatically at UFC 205. The New Jersey native put in a complete MMA performance. He even showcased one of his trademark recoveries. Jeremy Stephens caught him with a kick which rocked Edgar momentarily, but as he said himself, “it wouldn’t be a fight without that.”
By the third round, Stephens had nothing left but to swing wildly and hope for the best. Edgar’s sheer fighting intelligence forced him into this.
Undeterred by another setback, Edgar reaffirmed his status and showed us all how to keep fighting. The question now is where his career will go from here. In a very messy and uncertain featherweight division, things really need to be cleaned up. It’s unfair on the fighters waiting around with uncertainty. Not that Edgar will let that bother him.
Pennington completed her evolution, at the expense of Tate’s career
In what was a highly emotional affair, Raquel Pennington claimed a convincing victory over her former coach, Miesha Tate. Sadly, this led to former champion Tate’s impromptu retirement from mixed martial arts. Pennington went from Tate’s mentee, to pushing her out of MMA altogether.
This increased Pennington’s run to four straight victories, and it was certainly her most impressive and most important to date. It hasn’t been easy for Rocky — she’s faced some obstacles, but she’s overcome them all to put herself in a strong position. Another top five opponent likely awaits her, and at 28, she has plenty of time left to press onwards.
Bantamweights, beware.
As for Tate, if this really is the end of her competitive career, then it is one that can be looked back upon with fondness. For all the talk of Ronda Rousey being the pioneer of women’s MMA, we must not overlook Tate’s influence.
Tate taught a lesson at UFC 205 last night. The lesson of how to walk away when it no longer feels right. In a sport so unforgiving, this has to be respected. 30 might seem young to retire, but make no mistake, she is a true veteran. And her influence on the sport deserves more recognition.
She felt it was the right time, and we must respect that feeling. Her eloquence and understanding of the game will make her a valuable asset to the promotion. So while the UFC lost a fighter, it might have gained a female analyst with the highest credentials.
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