The people are getting what they want – Conor McGregor is headlining the UFC’s monumental debut in New York City at UFC 205 in November. But he won’t be defending his UFC Featherweight Championship like Dana White promised he would in his next octagon appearance. Instead, the long-rumored fight against UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez will be the headlining fight. The matchup was announced by UFC officials, including Dana White, late last night.
The fight will be McGregor’s first at 155-pounds since winning the Cage Warriors Lightweight Title back in 2012, and it will also mark current champ Alvarez’s first title defense since wresting the gold off of Rafael dos Anjos this past July. The Philadelphia-based Alvarez enjoys a large East Coast fan base, and NYC has a huge Irish community which is surely to back native son McGregor, meaning the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden on November 12th should be electric.
In the process, the UFC featherweight division continues to be stuck in a holding pattern, as this will be champ McGregor’s third fight outside of the division since winning the title in December 2015. And the UFC won’t be stripping McGregor of his belt before UFC 205, meaning his dream of being the first fighter to hold UFC belts in two weight classes simultaneously stays in play. It’ll be interesting to see how White and the UFC spins this decision, as it is a clear win for McGregor in his ongoing backroom battle with the company. Headline New York City. Check. Fight for the lightweight title. Check. Keep his featherweight title. Check. This round goes to McGregor, decisively. 10-8.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
