History has been made.
In the highly-anticipated UFC 205 main event, Conor McGregor became the first fighter to simultaneously hold championship belts in two weight divisions. He knocked out Eddie Alvarez in the second round to claim 155-pound gold, and now holds both the lightweight and featherweight straps.
His performance over Alvarez was nearly picture-perfect; the Irishman picked Alvarez apart with hard shots in the first round, dropping him twice. In the second round, with just under two minutes left in the round, McGregor landed a slick four-punch combination that caused Alvarez to fall to the canvas. The two-time champion briefly followed up with some ground-and-pound, but it didn’t take long for the referee to step in. It was over.
What was the highlight of the fight?
The fact that McGregor took almost zero damage in the fight was the bout’s highlight. Alvarez never got going; McGregor was always pushing him backwards, up against the fence, and Alvarez couldn’t land anything that even slightly hurt McGregor. Alvarez couldn’t even solidify a takedown. Plus, McGregor capped the fight off with a stunning combination — one that only the best land. It was literally a perfect night for the 28-year-old.
Where do these two go from here?
McGregor has a big decision to make. He will most likely have to vacate one of his titles, and I expect that to be the featherweight championship. So, if that’s the case, it’ll be lightweight for the rest of his career — unless he goes for yet another belt at welterweight. The two top contenders at 155 pounds are Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Nate Diaz gets the title shot against McGregor — he’s already beaten him once, and the trilogy would be absolutely huge.
There’s no shame in losing to McGregor. Alvarez will likely get back into the gym after a week off and will likely be ready to go in a few months. He’s still one of the best in the world, so he’ll be back. That said, sometimes, devastating losses can change a fighter (for the worse). I’m intrigued to see if that will be the case for Alvarez. I’d actually like to see a matchup against Dustin Poirier next, but there are quite a few options in the 155-pound division for the former champ.
Watch now, later, or never?
My guess is that you’ve already seen McGregor’s knockout of Alvarez. If you haven’t, though, check it out right now.
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