After a long night of fights and the explosive rivalry between Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor, the lightweight championship was finally decided at UFC 205 in the Big Apple. Conor McGregor has made history to be the first fighter to hold two belts in two different weight classes at the same damn time to boot. Where many were expecting an insanely close battle between Alvarez and McGregor, the featherweight champion absolutely destroyed the former lightweight champion with such ease it truly boggles the mind.
At this point if you’re still hating on Conor McGregor, the only way I understand that is if you’re talking about his personality since it certainly isn’t for everyone. But to deny his skill in the Octagon is truly a huge mistake. The front kicks made a return and so did the insanely accurate counter punching that made McGregor champion at featherweight. Alvarez is a durable fighter who always manages to come back for more. It wasn’t until after that second knock down that you got the idea that the lightweight championship would soon be changing hands. It was a credit to Eddie’s conditioning and toughness that had him answer the bell for the second frame and though he was performing a bit better a counter left, right uppercut, straight left, right uppercut combination took the wind from his sails. Some follow up ground and pound and Conor McGregor cemented his name in UFC history. Now the biggest question is what’s next for the two division champion?
Khabib Nurmagomedov has earned a crack at that belt. Let’s see if the UFC is willing to put their cash cow on the line in what would be one of Conor’s toughest match ups ever.
The Tyron Woodley versus Stephen Thompson match also impressed. In what turned into a dog fight, each men had their moments of glory, but it was Tyron Woodley who came closest to closing the show. Thompson did show his heart and resilience however and after losing the fourth round big came back to win the fifth. With the fight ruled a majority draw you have to think that a rematch will definitely be on the horizon.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Karolina Kowalkiewicz both showed it means to be a Polish fighter. Though Jedrzejczyk may have dominated most of the fight with her slick striking, leg kicks and clinch game, Kowalkiewicz showed the heart of a champion when she came back in the fourth cracking the champ with a hard right hand that had her in all sorts of trouble. It wasn’t enough to secure victory, but it was certainly enough to gain Joanna’s respect as well as the respect of the fans in attendance and watching around the globe. Jedrzejczyk’ next step is unclear as it appears that she’s cleared out much of the straw weight division. Kowalkiewicz on the other hand would be smart to get a booking with another high level competitor like Claudia Gadelha in order to secure a potential rematch with Jedrzejczyk. Until then we should take a moment to appreciate the carnage that we saw on Saturday night and rejoice that there are individuals out there willing to put themselves on the line in order to bring this level of entertainment into our lives.
What did you think of UFC 205?
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
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