The UFC 205 fight card was going to be big, but this might be the biggest card of all time. We have three (yes, THREE) title fights on the main card. Every other fight is high quality, featuring a handful of former champions and popular, exciting fighters. November 12th can’t come fast enough. Take a look at the complete UFC 205 fight card:
*Bout order has yet to be confirmed
UFC 205 Fight Card
Eddie Alvarez vs Conor McGregor
At the top of the UFC 205 fight card rests a lightweight title bout between 155 lb. champ Eddie Alvarez and 145 lb. champ Conor McGregor. This is a blockbuster fight with some serious historical implications that UFC only recently announced. If McGregor wins, he will be the first person in UFC history to hold two belts at the same time. He probably should be stripped of his 145 lb belt (he hasn’t defended it since he first won it back in 2015), but nevertheless the UFC is allowing Conor to try and make history.
Stylistically, this is an exciting fight. Alvarez, once known as a brawler, has been relying more on his wrestling as of recent. Expect Alvarez to try and force Conor to the ground much like Chad Mendes did back at UFC 189. Meanwhile, one can expect Conor to have a massive edge in the striking department. Alvarez is hittable, and might even be the smaller man in the Octagon. This is going to be a killer fight between two savages.
Tyron Woodley vs Stephen Thompson
In the co-main slot of the UFC 205 fight card is a welterweight title fight. The new champ of the division, Tyron Woodley, will be defending his belt in enemy territory against East Coast native Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. Respect hasn’t come easy for Woodley, even after knocking out one of the most favored fighters in the sport, Robbie Lawler. Maybe it’s because Woodley demanded to fight big name opponents like Nick Diaz and Georges St-Pierre, or maybe he’s just not a likable guy. Nevertheless, Wonderboy has a wave of momentum and crowd favor behind him going into this match up. He’ll bring his aesthetically-pleasing karate style in against Woodley’s ultra-explosive wrestling and powerful right hand. This is a match up between two polar opposites, and I’m stoked to see what happens.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz
The first contested title of the night will be the women’s strawweight title. Dominant Polish champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk will defend her belt against fellow Pole and surging contender Karolina Kowalkiewicz. There were rumors of this fight taking place in Poland, which would have been monumental for sure, but New York City has a prominent Polish community too. Fan reception to getting this fight for the UFC 205 fight card has been nothing but positive. These two women are absolute killers too. Joanna’s muay thai is as nasty as it comes, and her cardio is through he roof (as shown in her last fight). Karolina though is non-stop pressure and very technical on the feet. She has been racking up wins over top bantamweight contenders, and even though she doesn’t seem to have the stopping poewr that Joanna does, she is very dangerous.
Chris Weidman vs Yoel Romero
New York’s pride and joy, Chris Weidman, returns to action against top contender Yoel Romero in this collosal middleweight bout. Weidman was last seen battered when he lost his middleweight belt to Luke Rockhold. It has taken him a while to get healthy and ready to fight again. Meanwhile, Romero is coming off of suspension after testing positive for a tainted supplement. Romero has yet to officially lose in the UFC, but his career has been riddled with controversy. Both Weidman and Romero possess some of the best wrestling skills in the division, but it will be a showdown between Weidman’s grit against Romero’s athleticism.
Donald Cerrone vs Kelvin Gastelum
Presumably kicking off the PPV card is a welterweight fight featuring surging talents Donald Cerrone and Kelvin Gastelum. The 170 lb division has no shortage of talent, but Donald Cerrone has been setting the division ablaze since moving up from lightweight. Meanwhile, Ultimate Fighter winner, Kelvin Gastelum just picked up the biggest win of his career by defeating former champ Johny Hendricks. The winner of this fight should move into the top 5 at welterweight. Will Cerrone’s ultra-technical and venomous striking skill be enough to overcome Gastelum’s meat-and-potatoes boxing and wrestling game?
Fox Sports 1 Prelims
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Michael Johnson
Dana White announced Tuesday that top ranked lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov will be facing KO artist Michael Johnson somewhere on the UFC 205 fight card. I believe this is the perfect fight to have headline the Fox Sports 1 prelims. There will undoubtedly be a large reception for the prelims, especially with these two exciting fights being a part of it. Johnson jumped right back onto the scene by knocking out Dustin Poirier in his last bout. Khabib on the other hand has been battling injuries and time off. He returned against UFC newcomer Darrell Horcher (a late replacement for Tony Ferguson), and is still the top ranked 155 lb’er in the world not named Eddie Alvarez.
Frankie Edgar vs Jeremy Stephens
I never thought I would see Frankie Edgar fighting on the prelims, but nevertheless he is outmatched here in terms of star power. He gets fellow top ranked featherweight Jeremy Stephens, who possesses the KO power to knock anybody out. We’ll see if Edgar can use his pace and speed to disrupt Stephens, or if Stephens can plant one of his bombs on Edgar and silence the New York crowd.
Tim Kennedy vs Rashad Evans
In a battle of veterans, Tim Kennedy returns to action against former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans who will be making his middleweight debut. It’s an interesting fight for sure, but I don’t think either man has much left in the tank at this point. It’s going to be a brutal cut for Evans, and Kennedy has been inactive since being TKO’d by Yoel Romero in 2014. Kennedy is an outstanding wrestler, but Evans brings more than just a wrestling pedigree – he brings a swagger that could be rejuvenated by a cut to 185 lbs. This will be an interesting fight for sure.
Miesha Tate vs Raquel Pennington
Former women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate will go from headlining UFC 200 in a championship fight to the prelims of UFC 205. Nevertheless, many will tune in to see Tate battle “Rocky” Pennington on this stacked UFC 205 fight card. Pennington is a tough, durable contender in this division who has given virtually everyone she fights a tough run for their money. She’s on a three fight win streak, but it’s hard to see her winning this fight against the experienced, scrappy Miesha Tate.
Tim Boetsch vs Rafael Natal
In the middleweight division, East Coast fighters Tim Boetsch and Rafael Natal will do battle. Boetsch recently rebounded from a three fight losing streak by smashing Josh Samman in July. Natal on the other hand just had a four-fight win streak snapped by Robert Whittaker. This is a crossroads fight, both clinging to stay relevant. Stylistically, it’s very interesting. Boetsch, much like his moniker the “Barbarian”, is a gutsy fighter who gets better the more he is bloodied up. Natal however is a crafty jiu-jitsu wizard. This is a great fight to feature on the prelims as it has all the potential to be a blood and guts performance.
Fight Pass Prelims
Jim Miller vs Thiago Alves
Originally scheduled to face Al Iaquinta in his lightweight debut, Thiago Alves will instead face battle-tested veteran Jim Miller. “The Pitbull” has been rather inactive lately, but is getting toward the end of his career. This drop to lightweight may offer a serious career resurgence for Alves. However, Jim Miller is nobodies gimme-fight. He’s a scrappy, high-pressure fighter who is skilled in all facets. Alves’s muay thai may have some serious power at 155 lbs, but Miller’s durability will likely make this one hell of a scrap. What a way to cap off the Fight Pass Prelims.
Lyman Good vs Belal Muhammad
After fighting in Bellator and CFFC, Lyman Good made a promising UFC debut in 2015 which saw him win via KO. However, he has yet to follow up on that. He’ll get a chance to do so against the ultra-active Belal Muhammad. Belal has fought twice since joining the UFC in July, going 1-1. This has the makings to be a fireworks bout as both men like to stand and bang. Good, the New York native, should hold the advantage though so long as the time off doesn’t affect him.
Liz Carmouche vs Katlyn Chookagian
Starting off the UFC 205 fight card is a women’s bantamweight bout between Liz Carmouche and Katlyn Chookagian. East Coast native Chookagian has been off to a promising 1-0 start in the UFC while Carmouche hasn’t fought since she beat Lauren Murphy in April of last year. Look for this to be a fun, low stakes scrap to kick off the UFC 205 fight card.
