Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez, UFC 205 preview

Can McGregor be the first UFC fighter to hold two titles, or will Alvarez’s wrestling prevail?

Nov 12, 2016, 1:00 PM UTC

We’re hours away from one of the UFC’s best cards ever, featuring three title fights, including the headliner between featherweight champion Conor McGregor and lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. UFC 205: McGregor vs. Alvarez is a landmark event because it’s being hosted at Madison Square Garden in New York City for the very first time.

The card will also see welterweight champion Tyron Woodley face Stephen Thompson and women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk against Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

Alvarez’s title is the only one that’s up for grabs in the main event, as the bout is being contested at 155 pounds. McGregor’s recent history has been a whirlwind, winning and defending the 145-pound title, fighting Nate Diaz — twice — at 170 pounds and now set to face Alvarez for the 155-pound title.

If McGregor wins, he gets two titles and will become the first multi-division champion in UFC history as far as holding them at the same time is concerned. According to Dana White, it will also mean McGregor has to immediately vacate one of his titles, so it will be interesting to see which one he chooses in the event that he wins.

But winning will be a tough task. Alvarez is on a three-fight winning streak that includes decision wins over Gilbert Melendez and Anthony Pettis, and a TKO of Rafael dos Anjos in the first round in his last outing. He’s 28-4 through his career and it’s widely held that if he can get McGregor to the ground, he can do some serious damage.

Alvarez has consistently referred to fighting McGregor as a “break” from fighting real lightweight competition. Obviously, he feels he will have a size advantage in the fight, or he simply doesn’t think highly of McGregor’s skills.

The fight should come down to whether or not McGregor can finish Alvarez early. He is incredibly dangerous in the first round, while Alvarez’s wrestling will get more dangerous as the fight goes on. Alvarez doesn’t figure to have much success on his feet, and the first couple rounds may be more about him surviving than looking to finish the fight on his own terms.

McGregor versus the wrestler who can finally get him down and hold him there has been the narrative before. It’s the biggest question mark for this matchup.

Below is all you need to know to watch, including the full UFC 205 fight card.