Alvarez to Fight Conor McGregor to Retain His UFC Lightweight Title

Eddie Alvarez is preparing for a highly anticipated Big Apple bout…

The 32-year-old half-Puerto Rican mixed martial artist and current UFC Lightweight Champion will face off against Conor McGregor in the lightweight championship headline UFC 205 bout on November 12 at Madison Square Garden.

Eddie Alvarez

UFC officials confirmed the 155-pound title fight to ESPN on Monday. The UFC 205 pay-per-view is historic because it marks the promotion’s first trip to New York since a 1997 ban on professional mixed martial arts was lifted earlier this year.

McGregor (20-3), the current featherweight champion, will attempt to join BJ Penn and Randy Couture as the only fighters in UFC history to win titles in multiple weight classes. Per UFC president Dana White, McGregor will retain his featherweight championship through UFC 205, meaning he has the chance to become the first ever to hold those belts simultaneously.

“This is the fight the fans wanted, and I’m excited that our very first event at Madison Square Garden will be headlined by Eddie Alvarez defending the lightweight title against Conor McGregor,” White told ESPN. “This card has three world title fights and is the best card in UFC history.”

Alvarez (28-4) won the title in a first-round knockout over Rafael dos Anjos in July. The Philadelphia native also has held a 155-pound title in Bellator MMA. Alvarez publicly campaigned for a fight against McGregor, even though White briefly targeted a bout between Alvarez and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Leave a Reply