Recent UFC 205 rumors and fight announcements suggest that UFC 205 will be a stacked card. November 12th could be host to one of the biggest events of the year. Unfortunately, a lot of the sport’s mainstream draws are unlikely to be featured (for various reasons). Let’s go through some UFC 205 rumors, fight announcements, and some key fighters we may or may not expect to see at UFC 205.
Robbie Lawler vs Donald Cerrone
In a welterweight clash, sources have alluded to dynamic strikers Robbie Lawler and Donald Cerrone meeting at UFC 205. Lawler, the former welterweight champion, recently lost his belt via first round KO to Tyron Woodley. It was a mild upset, and a fight where Lawler was unable to really put on a performance. I have no doubt he has been itching to get back into the mix. Fresh off a stellar finish of a top ten welterweight, “Cowboy” Cerrone looks like he could be the next big thing at 170 lbs. He’s 3-0 in the weight class, and so far his striking skills have not been matched. Lawler could be the man to put that to the test, and I have no doubt this fight will be fire works.
Chris Weidman vs Yoel Romero
In a middleweight tilt, New York’s own Chris Weidman looks to get back into the title mix after he gave up his belt to Luke Rockhold. Injuries have kept Weidman from getting his belt back, but a healthy Weidman was rumored to take on top contender Yoel Romero at UFC 205. This UFC 205 rumor has now been confirmed. Romero is one of the most intimidating figures in the 185 lb division, and has yet to taste defeat in the Octagon. Even though he was suspended for tainted supplements earlier this year, he’ll be cleared for UFC 205.
It’s a tall order for Weidman, but I really like this match up. A lot of title implications will be at stake. One can expect a match up between former champion Luke Rockhold and Jacare Souza will be made. Hopefully the UFC can fix their money issue with Rockhold as he could be leap-frogged over quickly.
Al Iaquinta vs Thiago Alves
Fellow New Yorker, “Ragin” Al Iaquinta will look to continue his rise up the lightweight ranks. He meets former welterweight contender Thiago Alves. Iaquinta is currently on a four-fight win streak, but has been MIA since beating Jorge Masvidal in April of 2015. He meets ranked welterweight Thiago Alves who is dropping down to lightweight for the first time in his career. I’m very interested to see how Alves performs with a drastic weight cut because he has struggled before to make 170 lbs. A slimmed down Alves could be a serious force, but Iaquinta has a lot of momentum in the 155 lb division.
Gian Villante vs Marcos Rogerio de Lima
Teammate to Chris Weidman, Gian Villante, will also be featured on the New York card. He’ll be meeting fellow light-heavyweight Marcos de Lima. De Lima recently choked out Clint Hester at UFC 197 while Villante will look to rebound from a decision loss to Ilir Latifi. I expect this bout will be buried in the prelims as it has the potential to be a snoozer.
Headliner?
Those three match ups consist of all the UFC 205 rumors and fight announcements we have heard thus far. It’s not much, but we’re still two months away. I’m still wondering though – who is going to headline this card?
Jon Jones? Doubtful
We all know Jon Jones would be the ideal candidate (being from New York and all), but his USADA suspension looming overhead makes it doubtful. Even though sources suggest he’ll only be given a 6-month suspension as opposed to a 2-year suspension, he still may not be able to fight at UFC 205. The UFC may have to go with Daniel Cormier vs Anthony “Rumble” Johnson II – which is still a must-see fight. I wonder if it is big enough to carry this card though.
Conor McGregor? Probably not
Another option is to have Conor McGregor make a quick turn-around and fight either Eddie Alvarez or Jose Aldo. He’s been campaigning to fight on the East coast (or Ireland) for a while now; what bigger East coast event is there than UFC 205? Unfortunately, it’s probably too soon. McGregor just had a twenty-five minute war with Nate Diaz on August 20th; fighting on Novemer 12th would not give McGregor much time to heal nor prepare for another massive fight. Furthermore, McGregor’s media obligations are far beyond that of regular fighters. It would be hard to show up properly focused and prepared in that short amount of time. Another obstacle is McGregor’s featherweight belt. He needs to defend it, but going after Eddie Alvarez might result in vacancy at featherweight – something Conor doesn’t want.
Ronda Rousey? Nope
A while back, the 411 was that Ronda Rousey was going to make her anticipated return at Madison Square Garden. Even though that would have ensured a massive event, it sounds like an inevitable Ronda Rousey return it going to be pushed down the line. Rumors have it that early to mid 2017 is more feasible for Rousey while she plays out her opportunities for Hollywood.
Georges St-Pierre? Doubtful
Another returning star that many have their eyes on is GSP. The former welterweight champion has been teasing about his return to MMA for quite some time now. He never technically lost his welterweight belt, and with the division in flux right now, it’s a great time for GSP to come back and attempt to reclaim it. While this may happen, I don’t see it going down at UFC 205 in New York. Not when UFC 206 is scheduled to be in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A bit of foreshadowing perhaps? It seems all too appropriate that GSP’s return to MMA takes place at UFC 206 instead of UFC 205.
Future UFC 205 Rumors & Fight Announcements
Over the next few weeks, expect more UFC 205 rumors and fight announcements. It seems everyone wants on this card, and recent announcements suggest this could be one of the biggest cards of the year. Depending on who they get as a headliner, this card could easily surpass 1 million PPVs. With Conor McGregor, I’d expect it to be near 2 million. Exciting things await, fight fans. Stay tuned to GetMoreSports for more UFC 205 rumors & fight announcements!
