McGregor left a trail of insults in his path to the top and in the wee hours of Sunday morning after he knocked out Alvarez at just over three minutes into the second round, the 28-year-old Irishman showed zero remorse.

“I’ve ridiculed everyone on the roster,” McGregor said. “And I just want to say, from the bottom of my heart, I’d like to take this chance to apologize to absolutely nobody. The double champ does what the [expletive] he wants!”

And really, when it comes to anything MMA, that’s pretty much true, and if it’s not, certainly Saturday night was not when to tell him otherwise. McGregor dismantled Alvarez with picture-perfect lefthand counters and easily stuffed the champion’s takedowns before putting him down for good in the second round.

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The rest of the card delivered strong action as well. Strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk defended her belt in dominant fashion, while in the co-main event’s welterweight title fight, Tyron Woodley retained his title in an entertaining, back-and-forth fight that ended in a draw.

The highlight of the night, however, belonged to Cuban Olympic wrestler Yoel Romero, who took a silver medal at the 2000 games. Romero landed an incredible flying knee that knocked out former middleweight champion Chris Weidman in the third round of a competitive fight to add another scalp to his collection. He also punched his ticket for a title fight with divisional titleholder Michael Bisping, who flipped the bird to Romero on the Garden’s video board after watching the victory live.

There were no slow moments during the five-fight main card but there was a poignant one when former women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate surprised fight fans by announcing her retirement. She said she based her decision partly her lackluster performance on Saturday that saw her drop a decision to Raquel Pennington in the main-card opener.

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The undercard, too, offered up memorable moments. Lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov announced himself as the next big thing with an otherworldly display of wrestling and grappling in a victory over Michael Johnson. He topped his performance with an over-the-top call-out of McGregor, however.

“I want to fight with your chicken,” he said in front of a loudly booing crowd, demanding a shot at the title. “This is easiest fight in lightweight division.”

Scroll down or click on the links below to relive all the action, as chronicled by MMA expert Patrick Wyman (@Patrick_Wyman) and Washington Post staff writer Marissa Payne (@MarissaPayne). Wyman provides technical analysis upcoming card each Thursday ahead of major UFC events. — MP and PW

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Eddie Alvarez vs. Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor tries to become the first man to simultaneously hold two UFC titles as he takes on Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight belt in UFC 205’s main event. Alvarez is an unlikely champion who got a shot at Rafael dos Anjos more on the basis of his career accomplishments than a pair of split-decision victories over Gilbert Melendez and Anthony Pettis, but he made the most of his opportunity with a first-round knockout win. McGregor split two fights with Nate Diaz after running through the featherweight division, the latter of which became the highest-selling fight in UFC history. This is a great stylistic matchup in addition to its box-office implications, pitting Alvarez’s crisp boxing and stout wrestling against McGregor’s huge power and pressure-focused game. The real questions are whether the hittable Alvarez can take McGregor’s potent left hand how much Alvarez is able to wrestle, but however it plays out, we’re likely to get fireworks. — PW

Dana White described UFC 205 as having “the “biggest, baddest, greatest card ever assembled in sports history” last week, and so far, so good. The two previous title fights have gone the distance and this one could, too. But not if McGregor’s prediction comes true. Amid an attempt to toss a chair at Alvarez at a press conference earlier this week, he predicted he’d knock his opponent out in the first round. — MP

Round 1: Alvarez comes out with a couple of leg kicks as McGregor works his jab and a front kick. Alvarez comes in and McGregor drops him with a clean left hand, but Alvarez is right back to his feet. The champ tries for a half-hearted takedown, but McGregor stuffs it easily. McGregor’s jab is looking good early, and as Alvarez rushes in, McGregor tags him with another counter left. McGregor knocks Alvarez down again, this time with a lead left, and the Irishman is working from top position. Alvarez is up and seems to have recovered, but he’s stuck on the fence. He shoots for a takedown, which McGregor stuffs, and Alvarez eats an elbow for his trouble on the break. Aggression might be getting the better of McGregor here, and he’s not picking his shots as carefully. Alvarez comes in with a nice body-head combination and then lands a body kick a moment later. As the round ends, Alvarez seems to be settling in. 10-8 McGregor on the basis of the knockdowns. — PW

Round 2: Alvarez opens up with a hard body kick but eats a pull counter from McGregor, taking the left hand right on the chin. A half-hearted takedown comes nowhere close to succeeding for Alvarez. McGregor tosses out a series of side kicks to the thigh and body to force Alvarez back, and then lands a counter left. Alvarez lands a right hand, then another, but takes another left hand in an exchange. Finally Alvarez pushes McGregor into the fence, where he tries for a double. This kind of grinding will serve him well as the fight goes on. McGregor breaks off and lands another left, then a front kick to the body. A left-right-left combination lands for McGregor and that’s all she wrote for Alvarez. Wow. McGregor gets the knockout in the second round. — PW

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Summary: Conor McGregor defeats Eddie Alvarez by knockout (punches) at 3:04 of the second round. What can we really say here? That was an evisceration of the putative best lightweight on the face of the planet, a top-to-bottom destruction of epic proportions. He dismantled Alvarez by sticking him on the end of his long reach, making greater use of the jab than he has in previous fights, and then drawing the champion onto left-hand counter after left-hand counter. It was really that simple, and Alvarez had no answers for it. Now McGregor is the first two-division champion in UFC history, the biggest draw in the sport’s history, and a fighter so obviously special that his like has never been seen before in this sport. — PW

The man deserves to strut. — MP

Meanwhile, Gordon Ramsey is playing with a dude’s balding head.

Yes, it’s a good night for the UFC and its new owners Hollywood talent agency WME-IMG. Looks like they’re already beginning to see the payoff of their $4 billion buy. According to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, UFC 205 set a new ticket reveue record at Madison Square Garden. — MP

Tyron Woodley retains belt over Stephen Thompson (majority draw)

Newly crowned champion Woodley defends his belt for the first time against karate master Stephen Thompson in an excellent welterweight championship fight. Since the lone loss of his career, Thompson has won seven in a row, including a knockout of former champion Johny Hendricks and a wide decision over former challenger Rory MacDonald, showing off slick striking skills that make this a fantastic matchup. Thompson will try to stick Woodley on the end of his long kicks and jab, while Woodley will try to explode forward into his brutal right hand or grind this out in the clinch and with takedowns. — PW

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The crowd would love to see Woodley lose his belt, especially to “Wonderboy” Thompson. Woodley doesn’t seem to mind the haters, however, and this week he made one more when he engaged in a Twitter feud with feudmaster Conor McGregor. — MP

Round 1: The two fighters start slowly, circling and gauging the range and timing early. Thompson is waiting for Woodley to show him his speed, and Woodley doesn’t want to give Thompson something to counter. The challenger is pressuring a bit more than he usually does, but he’s not pressing that advantage, tossing out only a couple of kicks. The first explosion comes after two minutes, as Thompson fires off a low kick that Woodley catches and runs into a double-leg takedown in the middle of the cage. The champion is working from top position and lands a series of short punches and elbows. They’re in the middle of the cage, so there’s really nowhere for Thompson to go. Woodley’s control is stifling, and he’s bloodying Thompson up. 10-9 Woodley. — PW

Round 2: Again the two fighters start slowly, and Woodley allows Thompson to press him back to the fence. Woodley waits for Thompson to commit to a punching combination, then grabs the clinch and controls Thompson against the cage. Thompson breaks off and tries a snapping round kick as he pressures Woodley toward the fence, but he’s struggling to let his shots go. Woodley tries his first explosive rush with the right hand but comes up well short, and Thompson lands a flush spinning back kick to the body. Thompson attacks with a combination, then lands a jab and a counter right hand after a Woodley jab. The champion backs up to the fence and eats another combination. Woodley lands his first right hand, but Thompson wears it and stays in the pocket. He’s letting his shots go as Woodley is content to keep his back on the fence. Woodley tries to finish the round with an explosion, but it’s too little, too late. 19-19 after two. — PW

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Round 3: Woodley tries to get after Thompson with a forward-moving right hand but eats a counter left as he comes forward. The right hand comes through for Woodley a moment later, but again he eats a counter as he comes forward. Thompson is pressing Woodley toward the fence at will, and now he’s starting to let his shots go, sliding forward with head-body punching combinations. Woodley’s trying his jab and a few low kicks, but increasingly the counters are there for Thompson when Woodley throws. Woodley lands a counter of his own, and then gets into the clinch, but can’t maintain position. A vicious low kick lands for Woodley that unbalances Thompson, and as they exchange to end the round, Woodley lands cleanly. That was a razor-thin round, but 29-28 Thompson. — PW

Round 4: Not a lot happening to start the fourth until Woodley lets go with a couple of jabs and eats a Thompson counter in return. Woodley lands a quick right hand that puts Thompson on the canvas and jumps on Thompson, then lands another shot that drops the challenger a moment later. Woodley is looking for the finish, but Thompson is back up. A series of knees and elbows drop Thompson and Woodley looks for a choke. Somehow, Thompson has survived, and he presses Woodley back against the fence. Woodley drops down for the guillotine choke, and again, Thompson is still in the fight. Incredible heart from Thompson to survive that flurry, and with a minute left, the challenger has top position and an exhausted Woodley underneath him. Thompson lands a few short shots, then postures to land harder ones as he ends the round. 38-38, though I wouldn’t argue with a 10-8 for Woodley there. — PW

Round 5: The two fighters hug to start the fifth round. Thompson opens up with more pressure and tries for a couple of head kicks as Woodley backs to the fence. A punching combination and then a low kick lands for Thompson. Despite having Woodley on the fence, Thompson isn’t letting his shots go with regularity. Thompson lands a crisp jab, then a hard right as Woodley tries to explode forward. Woodley doesn’t have much left in the tank here, and Thompson is picking him off a shot at a time. A nice right hand lands for Woodley after a Thompson combination. Woodley’s rush comes up short and he eats a counter, and as Thompson goes on the attack, he lands a series of combinations. 48-47 Thompson on this card, but a 47-47 draw would also be a viable score. — PW

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Summary: Fight ends in a majority draw (47-47, 47-47, 48-47 Woodley)

Despite Bruce Buffer’s incorrect announcement of the result — it was a majority draw, not a split decision — Woodley retains his belt. The judges who decided to score the fourth round 10-8 made a good decision, and the two fighters put on a fantastic, back-and-forth performance. With that said, both fighters missed their opportunities; Woodley might have finished with strikes if he hadn’t gone for the choke, and Thompson repeatedly let Woodley off the hook when he backed up to the fence. A rematch isn’t out of the question in the wide-open welterweight division. — PW

Woodley was not happy when Buffer stopped mid-sentence to correct himself, but Twitter had some fun with it. Majority draws aren’t common. — MP

Tennis star Caroline Wozniacki is kickin’ it at Madison Square Garden. — MP

Joanna Jedrzejczyk defeats Karolina Kowalkiewicz (unanimous decision)

Poland’s Jedrzejczyk makes the fourth defense of her title against her countrywoman Kowalkiewicz in a fun strawweight championship matchup. Both fighters prefer to work on the feet, and that kind of fight drastically favors the champion, a veteran of 70 Muay Thai fights and one of the best technical strikers in all of MMA. Kowalkiewicz depends on her durability and pace, and that probably doesn’t bode well against someone who can match her offensive output with better power and technique. — PW

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This fight is sure to have the entirety of Poland glued to their televisions, UFC President Dana White said last week. He said Kowalkiewicz is apparently the better known fighter there, so Jedrzejczyk’s on a mission to prove “she’s the one.” But it appears White’s already convinced. He made me promise to look up on his Instagram account a video he re-posted (“scroll past the piece of pizza) that shows Jedrzejczyk throwing elbows at the speed of a hummingbird. “It’s insane,” White said. — MP

Round 1: Jedrzejczyk opens up with her jab and a couple of low kicks as Kowalkiewicz tries to pressure into range, but she eats a two-punch combination as she walks into Joanna’s range, then two punches followed by a kick. Kowalkiewicz is trying to time Jedrzejczyk’s kicks with counterpunches but isn’t landing, and the champion slams home another couple of punches and kicks. Her punch-kick combinations are absolutely on point tonight, and so is the timing on her counters. Kowalkiewicz is spending a lot of time in southpaw, but Jedrzejczyk has seamlessly adjusted by throwing left low kicks and then sliding across to the outside. The first time they clinch, Kowalkiewicz pushes to the fence, but Jedrzejczyk effortlessly turns her and lands a sharp elbow and a series of knees to the body. Kowalkiewicz slashes her with a elbow on the break, and Jedrzejczyk responds in open space with yet another punch-kick combination. They clinch again, and Jedrzejczyk is showing off her height and size advantage on the inside. Easy 10-9 for Joanna Jedrzejczyk. — PW

Round 2: Kowalkiewicz comes out aggressively once again and eats two hard body kicks to open proceedings. They clinch again, and Jedrzejczyk lands a vicious elbow on the break, then another low kick back in space. Kowalkiewicz is game and she’s trying, but every time she walks into range she’s eating shots. She doesn’t have the firepower to go strike for strike with Jedrzejczyk. More low kicks land for Jedrzejczyk, and when Kowalkiewicz tries to clinch, she eats another couple of elbows. Back in the middle of the cage, Jedrzejczyk lands a series of low kicks. Kowalkiewicz shoots for a takedown and nearly completes it against the fence, but Jedrzejczyk stuffs it and breaks off. The champion tries for a head kick, but Kowalkiewicz grabs it and tries for a takedown. Once again, she can’t complete it, and Jedrzejczyk lands a pair of elbows in the clinch before getting back to open space. She grazes Kowalkiewicz with a high kick and nearly takes her head off with a spinning backfist. 20-18 Jedrzejczyk. — PW

Round 3: The two fighters clinch early and Kowalkiewicz lands a nice knee but can’t hold Jedrzejczyk against the fence. They break off into open space, and as Kowalkiewicz comes in, she eats a counter right hand and another kick to the body. Jedrzejczyk lands a hard body kick and slips into the clinch, where she slams home a couple of knees and a punching combination on the break. Again, Kowalkiewicz comes into range, and again she eats a punching combination. Jedrzejczyk’s command of the distance with her jab and kicks is so sharp that Kowalkiewicz has to start her pressure from so far outside that it gives Jedrzejczyk all the time she needs to prepare her counters. A good kick lands for Kowalkiewicz, but Jedrzejczyk comes back with one of her own a moment later. They clinch in the middle of the cage and Jedrzejczyk lands a series of knees and elbows, then another elbow on the break. This is getting more and more one-sided. 30-27 Jedrzejczyk. — PW

Round 4: More low kicks open proceedings for Jedrzejczyk, and Kowalkiewicz bulls her way into the pocket before whiffing on a series of punches and ending up in the clinch. Jedrzejczyk smiles just before she elbows Kowalkiewicz, but the champion eats an elbow from the challenger on the way out. Another three low kicks land for Jedrzejczyk, but Kowalkiewicz clips the champion with a hard shot and has her in trouble. Kowalkiewicz unloads against the fence but Jedrzejczyk looks to have recovered and nearly gets Kowalkiewicz’s back. The champion lands a hard kick that Kowalkiewicz catches, but once again, she can’t complete the takedown. Another hard kick lands for Jedrzejczyk, and Kowalkiewicz replies with a hard righthand counter. They end the round with a flurry in which both fighters land. Despite Kowalkiewicz’s moments, that was still Jedrzejczyk’s round. 40-36 Jedrzejczyk. — PW

Round 5: Jedrzejczyk’s nose looks to be badly broken as we start the fifth round. More kicks land for Jedrzejczyk and the two fighters find themselves in the clinch, where the champion lands another elbow on the break. Kowalkiewicz comes in with a combination and lands a shot, but eats a low kick a moment later, then another. Jedrzejczyk puts together a pair of three-punch combinations, landing to the body and head, and then slashes Kowalkiewicz with an elbow. Kowalkiewicz is pressing forward and still landing the occasional shot, but the champion’s counters are still on point. I’m not sure what Kowalkiewicz is made out of, but she’s too tough to be human, that’s for sure. They clinch in the final minute and Jedrzejczyk is landing knees and elbows, then a head kick on the break. As the bell sounds, Kowalkiewicz presses forward and eats one more shot. 50-45 Jedrzejczyk. — PW

https://twitter.com/ArmbarNation/status/797666411338403840

Summary: Joanna Jedrzejczyk defeats Karolina Kowalkiewicz by unanimous decision (49-46 x3). That was a beautiful performance from Jedrzejczyk against a tough, durable challenger who gave her everything she could handle. The fight wasn’t particularly close, but Kowalkiewicz’s willingness to fight in the pocket and in the clinch made it hard on the champion. Both fighters are clearly still improving and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them meet again. — PW

Conor McGregor’s latest foe Eddie Alvarez is in the house looking dapper. Between him and the Irishman, it’s hard to tell who’s winning the sleek suit battle. — MP

Yoel Romero defeats Chris Weidman (KO)

The surging Romero, who has won seven in a row to start his UFC career, returns to action against former middleweight champion Weidman in his first bout back after losing the belt to Luke Rockhold last December. Both fighters desperately need a win here: Romero is 39 and coming off a drug suspension, while Weidman needs to prove he still belongs at the top of a division full of potential contenders. It’s hard to say what the matchup will look like, as the hyper-athletic Romero tends to explode into unexpected bursts of violence and Weidman might be a bit gunshy after a year on the shelf. It’s probably safe to expect Weidman to pressure, though, and Romero to stick and move while looking for an opportunity to land the big shot. — PW

Round 1: Weidman comes out circling and starts things off with a sharp low kick and a glancing body kick as the southpaw Romero bides his time. Romero finally throws his first strike, a vicious body kick, 1:15 into the fight. Weidman gets in on a takedown and almost gets Romero down, but the Cuban springs back to his feet. A pair of hard body kicks land for Weidman and he shoots another takedown, but comes up short again. He’s confusing Romero with his volume and activity, even if he’s not actually landing much, and Romero has yet to really pull the trigger on anything. Weidman gets Romero down with 30 seconds to go and tries to spin to the back, but can’t get anything going. 10-9 Weidman. — PW

Round 2: Weidman starts things off with a brutal body kick, but comes up short on yet another takedown. Still, by forcing Romero to defend he’s stifling the Cuban’s offense and wearing down his limited gas tank. A hard low kick lands for Romero, but he’s clearly slowing down. Romero lands a big overhand left, but Weidman lands a nice body kick shortly afterward. Weidman pokes Romero in the eye and we get a brief stoppage. When the action resumes, Romero slams home a left body kick. When they clinch, Romero kicks out one of Weidman’s legs and spins around to his back in the scramble. He pins Weidman against the fence and knees his legs, then briefly takes him down. Romero explodes into the middle of the cage and completes a clean takedown with 30 seconds left, landing a few hard shots to finish the round. 19-19 after two. — PW

Round 3: Again, Weidman starts off with a hard body kick. When he ducks in for a takedown, Romero times it with a flying knee that catches Weidman on the way in. It’s a perfectly timed strike. Romero wins by knockout at :24 of the third round. — PW

Summary: Yoel Romero defeats by knockout (flying knee) at :24 of the third round.

Weidman looked pretty good in the first round, showing off some crisp striking skills, but couldn’t deal with Romero’s wrestling skills in the second. In the third, Romero timed his level change with a brutal flying knee, one of the most vicious knockout shots I’ve ever seen in my years of covering this sport. I’m not sure where Weidman goes from here, after a year of injuries and two consecutive losses, but that was a bad shot. Romero will get a title shot against Michael Bisping, and he’ll enter that fight as the odds-on favorite. — PW

Then things got a little weird, as sometimes they tend to in UFC. Bisping is commentating for this event, so how convenient that he’s there to oversee this contenders’ match. When the camera pans up to him, he decides to flip it off, thus pretty much confirming Romero’s his new enemy. — MP

Conor McGregor’s in the house, hopefully wearing a tear-away suit that he’ll still be sporting when he strolls into the octagon. — MP

Just in time for the holidays. — MP

Raquel Pennington defeats Miesha Tate (unanimous decision)

Former UFC bantamweight champion Tate returns to action four months after dropping her belt to the fearsome Amanda Nunes and tries to get back on track against the rising Pennington. Tate’s opponent is no slouch: Pennington went to a close decision with former champion Holly Holm and has won three in a row. Both fighters are capable everywhere, but broadly speaking, Pennington would prefer a striking matchup and Tate would like to get this to the ground. The clinch will probably be the deciding factor, and both fighters have strong skills in that phase. — PW

Round 1: Pennington comes out looking to pressure, but Tate backs her off with a jab and a couple of kicks, and and Pennington’s combinations in the pocket come up short. Shortly after, Pennington lands a clean left hook and then a jab, then lands another jab moment later. A third jab lands at the same time as Tate lands a low kick. Pennington is now landing her jab at will, and Tate’s not liking it at all. As Tate comes in, Pennington grabs the clinch, but she gets the worse of the exchange as Tate lands a series of short punches. Pushing Pennington against the fence, Tate looks for a takedown chain, but Pennington defends well and locks up a guillotine choke. Tate is doing everything possible to defend, including running up the cage, and barely manages to avoid the submission. She finally gets the takedown and looks to move to the back as Pennington scrambles back to her feet. 10-9 Pennington in the first on the basis of the landed strikes and near choke. — PW

Round 2: Pennington comes out looking to pressure again and lands a crisp jab, then another. When they clinch, Tate grabs a collar tie and lands a sharp knee, but when they get back to range, Tate eats yet another jab. They clinch again, but this time, Pennington sticks her with a series of shots. Tate pushes her to the fence and lands a couple of sharp knees. An attempted takedown goes nowhere, but Tate maintains control. Pennington creates a scramble and gets around to Tate’s back, standing, and Tate grabs the fence to avoid a takedown. Now Pennington is maintaining control against the fence, and she’s landing short punches at will. Tate goes to the double-collar tie and lands a couple of hard knees with her back to the fence, but is still giving up control to Pennington. They exchange position a couple of times, but Pennington is clearly getting the better of these exchanges. 20-18 Pennington. — PW

Round 3: Tate punches her way into the clinch, locks up an arm, and pulls guard, but Pennington has her pinned up against the fence and is raining down elbows and punches from the top. Tate switches between triangles and armbars, but isn’t getting particularly close, and now Tate tries for a sweep that fails badly. Pennington gets to north-south position, but Tate scrambles out and looks for a takedown. Pennington gets the front headlock and tries for a guillotine, which fails, but she establishes top position. Tate looks for a heel hook, but Pennington escapes, and Tate is coming up with nothing as she looks for takedowns after takedown. They’re in the clinch again, and Pennington is grinding her down with short punches. She takes Tate down with 30 seconds left and lands a few powerful punches from the top. 30-27 Pennington. — PW

Summary: Raquel Pennington defeats Miehsa Tate by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). That was a great performance from Pennington, who dominated Tate with her jab at striking range, in the clinch, and on the mat. There were no holes in her game and frankly, Tate didn’t look like the fighter who won the title. The former champion has taken a lot of damage in her nine-year career, and that might be catching up with her. Pennington should get a top-five opponent in her next outing. — PW

And that’s it for Tate as far as mixed martial arts goes, it appears. After her latest upset loss, the 30-year-old has decided to hang up her gloves. — MP

“I’m announcing my retirement, you guys,” she told Joe Rogan after the loss. “I love this sport forever, but it’s not my time anymore. It’s the future’s time.”

The UFC 205 audience gave her a standing ovation, while Twitter reels in shock. — MP



UFC’s ring girls had some fun ahead of the main card. Check out their stab at the mannequin challenge.

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/797636401416327168

Unsurprisingly (they’re models, after all), they’re really good at this. And oh, look, Madonna! — MP

Frankie Edgar defeats Jeremy Stephens (unanimous decision)

Former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar headlines the Fox Sports 1 prelims against veteran puncher Jeremy Stephens in a strong featherweight bout. Edgar is looking to get back on track after losing to Jose Aldo for a second time at UFC 200, while Stephens is looking for the biggest win of his career here. The question here is whether Edgar will be able to work his stick-and-move, in-and-out combination of striking and wrestling without eating too many powerful punches from Stephens. — PW

Round 1: Edgar comes out as he usually does, circling and cutting angles to gauge the distance. He shoots in with a double-leg takedown, but Stephens stuffs it and lands a hard kick to the body on the way out. Again, Edgar shoots for a takedown, but gets no joy aside from a left hook on the exit. Edgar lands a sharp body kick and looks to be gauging the distance with his jab, and then sticks Stephens with a sharp jab-cross combination. Stephens steps into the pocket, but Edgar ducks under, grabs the clinch, and forces Stephens to the fence, where he lands a couple of hard knees before trying a single-leg takedown. Stephens defends it well, putting his size advantage to good use, and pops right back up after Edgar gets him down. Edgar gets Stephens down a second time, but again, Stephens pops back up. Finally, Stephens breaks off, and now he’s trying to pressure, but he pokes Edgar in the eye and the referee stops the action. Stephens looks like he’s trying to counter Edgar when he comes in, but he’s just a touch too slow on everything. 10-9 Edgar for the control against the fence and the few clean shots he landed. — PW

Round 2: Edgar shoots a half-hearted takedown early, but a body punch strays low and catches Stephens in the groin. When they restart, Edgar comes in with a combination and lands a nice right hand, but Stephens also lands a glancing counter left hook. Again, Edgar sticks Stephens with a right, and Stephens’ counter comes up well short. Edgar lands a clean jab-cross against the fence and briefly gets the takedown, then gets Stephens’ back before slamming him with authority. Stephens pops up and Edgar lands a three-punch combination, then another right hand. Stephens throws a head kick that catches Edgar and knocks him down! Edgar recovers quickly and shoots a takedown, but Stephens defends, creates space, and is stalking the former champion, landing a few shots. Edgar is still on rubber legs, though. He lands a three-punch combination as Stephens comes in, and when Stephens overcommits, Edgar blasts him off his feet with a takedown and then locks up a guillotine choke. Edgar is on top and postured up, landing a few shots. He finishes the round with a mounted guillotine attempt and then a few big elbows. 19-19 after two in a heck of a fight. — PW

Round 3: Stephens starts the round with a hard low kick and then a jab. Edgar catches a low kick and completes the takedown, establishing himself in half guard. Stephens is looking for a kimura from the bottom, but Edgar defends and uses the opportunity to land a series of punches and elbows. Stephens manages to get back to his feet and Edgar slams him to the mat once again with 2:30 left. Finally, Stephens gets back to his feet, and he lands a stiff right hand, which Edgar follows with one of his own. Edgar is darting in and out while landing some good shots, and Stephens’ counters are just a bit too slow to land cleanly. Another combination lands for Edgar, then yet another right hand. Stephens lands a good right hand, but eats two more shots at the bell. 29-28 Edgar in a really good fight. — PW

Summary: Frankie Edgar defeats Jeremy Stephens by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).

Edgar gets back on track with a difficult but clear decision win that maintains his position as an elite featherweight, but doesn’t do much else. Still, coming out on top in a bit of a trap fight is a real accomplishment. Stephens acquitted himself well, but he seems to be stuck at the fringes of the top 10. — PW

Khabib Nurmagomedov defeats Michael Johnson (submission)

Nurmagomedov has cut a swathe of stifling destruction through the lightweight division, running his record to an undefeated 23-0 mark. Following a victory over future lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in April 2014, Nurmagomedov lost two years to injuries, but returned with a tune-up win over Darrell Horcher this past April. The Russian faces the surging Michael Johnson, who brutally knocked out Dustin Poirier in September to reestablish himself as a legitimate contender. With a win, Nurmagomedov would be one of the presumptive top choices to fight the winner of tonight’s title fight between McGregor and Alvarez, and Johnson could insert himself into that discussion as well. — PW

This comes down to Nurmagomedov’s stifling grappling against Johnson’s smooth, stick-and-move southpaw striking game. Johnson is a strong defensive wrestler, but Nurmagomedov’s takedown chains are simply otherworldly, and nobody has yet proven able to fight at his pace for three rounds. Still, he has never faced a striker as fast or as potent at Johnson.— PW

Round 1: Johnson comes out circling, tossing out a couple of light low kicks. Nurmagomedov isn’t really trying to cover the distance yet, and he eats a couple of straight lefts before landing a clean right hand of his own. Johnson is doing a great job of sticking Nurmagomedov on the end of his reach, and the southpaw is teeing off with combinations. He lands a clean left hand that staggers Khabib, but before long, Khabib gets into the clinch and works a trip against the fence. Nurmagomedov passes into side control and lands a few short strikes. The Russian is postured up and landing brutal ground strikes now. The control is absolutely stifling, and Nurmagomedov’s shots are carrying serious power. Johnson wants nothing to do with these shots, is barely defending, and Nurmagomedov is looking at the referee to stop this. Despite being staggered by a shot, this was a 10-8 for Nurmagomedov. — PW

Round 2: Johnson gets right back to work at range as the second round begins, tossing out kicks and left hands, one of which lands. Nurmagomedov gets in on the striking action with an uppercut-left hook combination and slides into the clinch, but can’t hold Johnson against the fence. Johnson stuffs a great takedown from Nurmagomedov, but Nurmagomedov grown-man throws him into the cage, and for some reason, Johnson tries a guillotine; that only leads to Nurmagomedov dragging him to the mat. Nurmagomedov is working from the top now and passes into side control, then to a crucifix, and he’s raining down vicious shots. As Johnson tries to escape, he’s giving Nurmagomedov opportunities to land even harder shots, now from the top ride. This is a brutal mauling and the referee could consider stopping the fight. With 15 seconds left, Nurmagomedov fully postures and lands six or seven vicious shots to finish the round. 20-16 Nurmagomedov. –PW

Round 3: Johnson is back to circling, but he eats a hard three-punch combination from Nurmagomedov to start the round. At the 4:30 mark, Nurmagomedov gets in on a single-leg takedown and finishes it easily. He has Johnson pinned against the fence and he’s postured up, raining down punches and elbows. This fight should be stopped, and referee John McCarthy is doing Johnson a disservice here. Nurmagomedov passes to mount and is now looking for an arm-triangle choke; Johnson counters by looking to use the fence to roll out, but Nurmagomedov maintains effortless control. The Russian is digging for a kimura on his left arm, and Johnson taps. — PW

Summary: Khabib Nurmagomedov defeats Michael Johnson by submission (kimura) at 2:31 of the third round. There has never been a wrestler or grappler like Nurmagomedov in MMA. He’s simply on another level. If he gets his hands on his opponent, the round is as good as over; there’s simply no escape from his takedown chains and ground control. Even worse for Nurmagomedov’s foes, he’s getting even more vicious with his ground strikes. Frankly, I don’t think there’s a 155-pound fighter out there who can beat him. — PW

Nurmagomedov may not be a household name, but he sure thinks he should be. After beating Johnson and thanking him for a good fight, the proud Dagestan native turned his sights on the “UFC PR machine” and complained about his inability to get a title shot, despite his now 24-0 record.

“I want to fight with your chicken,” he said, referring to Conor McGregor, one of UFC’s biggest draws.

Well, at least he found one man to side with him.

“I think you definitely deserve a title shot,” announcer Joe Rogan said, wearing Nurmagomedov papakha, a traditional sheepskin hat. — MP

Tim Boetsch defeats Rafael Natal (TKO — punches)

Veteran middleweights meet in what looks like a gritty, grinding, and potentially fun fight at 185 pounds. Natal has been a reliable presence in the division and recently notched a four-fight winning streak, while Boetsch snapped a three-fight losing streak by knocking out the late Josh Samman in his last outing. Neither fighter is going to contend for a title, but they’re experienced, skilled competitors who have forgotten more about fighting than most of their contemporaries have ever learned. — PW

Round 1 and summary: There’s a reason they call Boetsch the “Barbarian.” Coming hard straight outta the gate, Boetsch took it to Natal and didn’t let up. With the first punch of the night, the Barbarian clipped Natal early, putting Natal off his game until the fight ended early thanks to a TKO. Boetsch shot a hard right fist to his challenger, who was backed up against the wall, sending him to the ground. Boetsch took advantage, peppering Natal with punches on the mat until the referee called the fight at 3:22 seconds. — MP



With his 20th fight and his 12th career knockout, Boetsch told announcer Joe Rogan after his victory, “I feel like that sword’s getting nice and sharp. I want to seee how far I could go.” — MP

Vicente Luque defeats Belal Muhammad (KO — punches)

An action matchup at 170 pounds gets us started on Fox Sports 1. Muhammad, a native of Chicago, has produced a pair of fun fights in his two UFC outings, while Luque has been a surprising find, notching both slick submissions and one-punch knockouts in his brief UFC career.

Both are slick strikers, with the boxing edge going to Muhammad and the kicks to Luque. Luque is the more dangerous grappler, but Muhammad is the stronger wrestler. Wherever it plays out, this should be fun. — PW

Round 1: Luque is sticking and moving early, sliding in a pair of hard low kicks as Muhammad tries to bull his way into the pocket. Another hard kick lands for Luque, this one to the body, and now Luque is pressuring. A clean left hook lands in an exchange for Luque, and Muhammad goes down! A few follow-up punches finish the job. Vicente Luque defeats Belal Muhammad by knockout at 1:19 of the first round. — PW

Summary: That was a brutal knockout, the second one-punch finish in a row for Luque after a pair of submissions. He has now won four in a row and looks like an intriguing prospect at 170 pounds. — PW

And the celebrities have started to arrive, including Zac Efron, who found a seat next to a bird-flipping Donald Cerrone, who was supposed to be in the octagon tonight. Unfortunately for him, his opponent Kevin Gastelum failed to make weight, so his fight was scratched from the card. — PW

Demi Lovato is also in the house, sitting next to former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold. — MP

Jim Miller defeats Thiago Alves (unanimous decicion)

Former welterweight title challenger Alves takes on the veteran Miller in a firecracker of a matchup that serves as the Fight Pass main event.

Alves missed weight badly yesterday, coming in more than six pounds over the limit for his first fight at 155 pounds, which adds another dimension to an already intriguing fight. Neither man is likely to get into the elite of a deep weight class, but they’re contending for the lucrative title of king of the lightweight action fighters.

If Miller can get this to the mat, his grappling skills should be the difference, but Alves is a slick striker with outstanding defensive wrestling skills. Either way, it’s a barnburner in the making. — PW

Round 1: Miller comes out looking to pressure and slips a hard straight left into Alves’ breadbasket. Alves times Miller’s next rush and grabs ahold of the clinch, sliding in a sharp knee that catches Miller on the chin. Another left hand lands for Miller, and Alves’ counter right comes up short. The Brazilian is looking a bit sluggish early, perhaps because of the brutal failed weight cut. Miller lands a left, but Alves replies with a punching combination and finishes with a high kick that glances off Miller’s head. Miller catches it, though, and finishes a takedown. He’s working from top position but isn’t getting much done, and Alves manages to get his back to the fence. He makes a mistake as he tries to scramble back to his feet, though, and allows Miller to get to his back. The Brazilian adjusts beautifully and scrambles back to standing, landing a sharp knee before reestablishing distance. Miller lands a brutal left kick to the body that backs Alves off, and then slips yet another straight left onto Alves’ chin. They’re exchanging now, and Alves gets the better of it. Alves pressures to end the round but it’s probably not enough. 10-9 Miller. — PW

Round 2: The two fighters circle early and miss on a few shots, but Alves starts to get his kicking game going with a body and then a low kick. The Brazilian is picking up the speed and volume now and seems to be finding his range and timing. They exchange, and Alves lands a sharp left hook, then a right hand, then a body kick that forces Miller to shoot a bad takedown. Alves stuffs the takedown, and now he’s pressuring, but Miller times a jumping knee, catches it, and takes Alves to the ground. As Alves tries to scramble back to his feet, Miller looks for a choke, which he gives up to maintain position. He does so again when Alves gets to the fence, and while Miller isn’t landing much in the way of strikes, he’s controlling position and threatening with submissions. Finally, Alves gets back to his feet, and he’s back to pressuring once again. A sharp left lands for Miller, but Alves replies with a hard combination. He’s eating Miller up in the exchanges now, but Miller pushes him against the fence to buy time. A couple more exchanges close the round, and these go to Miller. The second was close, but it’s probably 20-18 Miller. — PW

Round 3: The two fighters exchange low kicks to start the round, and then they trade a Miller straight left for an Alves body kick. Miller backs up to the fence, and as they exchange, Alves is sliding in sharp shots in the pocket. Again, however, he pauses for just a moment too long, and Miller takes advantage by changing levels and blasting him off his feet with a double-leg takedown. Miller’s doing an excellent job of threatening with passes to the back or chokes from the front headlock whenever Alves looks to create space to scramble, but Alves manages to slip out of the choke and get to his feet. He lands a glancing head kick on Miller, and both fighters are clearly exhausted. They trade body kicks, and Miller lands a sharp left before catching yet another kick and finishing a clean takedown. As Alves tries to scramble again, Miller grabs a guillotine, which he uses to sweep to top position. He has Alves mounted briefly, and again, he’s looking for the choke from the front headlock. Alves slips out, though, and he’s on top with 20 seconds left. He ends the fight dropping bombing ground strikes from the top. 30-27 Miller in a fun, back-and-forth outing.— PW

Summary: Jim Miller defeats Thiago Alves by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Miller looked excellent, particularly with the timing and technique on his takedowns. Every time Alves planted his feet to throw, Miller was ready to change levels and explode through. Alves, on the other hand, looked sluggish and slow, but his craftiness and skill on the feet made it a close affair. Miller retains his crown as the king of the lightweight action fighters; it’s back to the drawing board for Alves, whose first outing at (almost) 155 pounds didn’t reinvigorate his slipping career. — PW

Liz Camouche defeats Katlyn Chookagian (split decision)

A strong bantamweight bout opens tonight’s proceedings at Madison Square Garden as former title contender Liz Carmouche draws undefeated prospect Katlyn Chookagian.

This is an interesting matchup between the physical, grinding style of Carmouche and the stick-and-move boxing game of Chookagian. If the prospect can keep it at range, she should pepper Carmouche with a steady stream of jabs and crosses, but Carmouche can dominate her in the clinch and on the mat if Chookagian can’t maintain the distance. — PW

Round 1: Chookagian is sticking and moving, pumping her jab and tossing out half-hearted leg kicks, but everything is coming up short. A hard low kick lands for Carmouche and she presses forward, getting ahold of Chookagian and taking her down against the fence. Carmouche can’t fully establish position, and Chookagian scrambles back to her feet. Though she’s controlling Chookagian against the fence, Carmouche isn’t doing much until she finally lands another takedown. This time, she controls Chookagian on the mat. Chookagian is content to work from her back, attempting a triangle, but with her hips pinned against the fence she’s going nowhere. 10-9 Carmouche for the takedowns and control. — PW

Round 2: Chookagian gets back to business to start the second round, peppering Carmouche with strikes. After a brief clinch, Chookagian gets back to range and turns up the volume with both punches and kicks. Carmouche catches a lazy body kick and finishes a big slam in the middle of the cage. Chookagian tries to scramble, but Carmouche catches a strong front headlock and uses that to reestablish top position. Carmouche isn’t doing much from top position, landing only short punches, but Chookagian is far too content to play off her back and give away time. Finally, Chookagian gets back to her feet, but now she’s pinned against the fence in the clinch. Once she reestablishes long range, Chookagian lands a series of light punches and kicks, including a good counter right, but it’s too little, too late. 20-18 Carmouche. — PW

Round 3: Carmouche lands a hard low kick to open proceedings, and then another one, as Chookagian tosses out some half-hearted punches. Chookagian presses forward and lands a punching combination that she finishes with a flush head kick, and Carmouche goes down! Chookagian jumps in for the finish and lands a clean knee, but Carmouche pins her against the fence and buys some time to recover. Chookagian separates and lands a clean combination, and it’s clear Carmouche is still hurt. An overhand right lands for Chookagian and Carmouche is in survival mode, bleeding from her nose, with three minutes left. Carmouche gets in on a takedown and drags Chookagian to the mat, eating up nearly a minute. Finally, Chookagian gets back to her feet and creates space. She’s getting after Carmouche now, pressuring her toward the fence, but Carmouche has recovered. Another combination lands for Chookagian, but Carmouche replies with a hard low kick, and then another drops Chookagian to the ground. Carmouche changes levels, shoots, and presses Chookagian against the fence once again, and that’s how the fight ends. 29-28 Carmouche. — PW

Summary: Liz Carmouche defeats Katlyn Chookagian by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

While Chookagian made the most of the third round with a clean head kick, she couldn’t get the finish, and we saw clearly the limitations of her game. She’s a bit plodding and doesn’t pack much power, so if she can’t fight a perfect fight, she’s in trouble. Carmouche, on the other hand, did a great job of making this the kind of dirty, close-range fight that favors her strength and physicality. This was a big win that reestablishes Carmouche as a gatekeeper to the 135-pound elite. — PW

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/797602254811492356

Intro

Mixed martial arts will take over one of boxing’s biggest stages Saturday night when UFC hosts its first-ever event at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

UFC 205’s card is “the biggest, baddest, greatest card ever assembled in sports history,” UFC President Dana White said last week, clearly not underpromoting the event.

While those latter two superlatives are debatable, the former was true — until Friday when Kevin Gastelum failed to make weight and his fight against Donald Cerrone was cut from the original six-fight main card. Now, there will be five fights on the main card, including three title fights.

Featherweight champion Conor McGregor will attempt to become a dual belt holder by taking on lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, at whom he attempted to toss a chair during a press conference on Thursday. The fight looks good on paper, so it’ll be interesting to see it play out live. Both fighters have the ability to go the distance, although McGregor predicts a first-round knockout.

The night’s penultimate bout will settle whether or not Tyron Woodley can defend his welterweight title against Stephen Thompson, the slight favorite. Woodley’s odds of winning aren’t bad, but he let himself get a bit distracted on Friday when he feuded with McGregor on Twitter.

Then there’s the first title fight of the night between women’s strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk and fellow Poland native Karolina Kowalkiewicz. White expressed particular excitement about this one in a phone interview last week.

“I’ve been in the fight business since I was 19 years old,” the former boxer said, “and I’m blown away by [Jedrzejczyk]. … The first night she ever fought with us, I had somebody go get her and I wanted her to sit next to me the rest of the night and watch the fights with me. I knew she was gonna be a star. … Joanna wants to prove to Poland that she’s the one.”

Joining the title fights on the main card are Chris Weidman versus Yoel Romero and women’s bantamweights Miesha Tate versus Raquel Pennington.

The main card is scheduled to kick off at 10 p.m. EDT on pay-per-view. Preceding it will be the preliminary and early preliminary cards, which begin at 7 p.m. on UFC Fight Pass, before the action transfers to Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. — MP

Here’s the full card. All fights are three rounds, unless otherwise noted.

MAIN CARD

Eddie Alvarez vs. Conor McGregor (five-round title fight)

Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson (five-round title fight)

Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (five-round title fight)

Chris Weidman vs. Yoel Romero

Miesha Tate vs. Raquel Pennington

PRELIMS

Frankie Edgar vs. Jeremy Stephens

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Michael Johnson

Rafael Natal vs. Tim Boetsch

Vicente Luque vs. Belal Muhammad

EARLY PRELIMS