Conor McGregor is the new lightweight champion after a two-round destruction of Eddie Alvarez. Tyron Woodley and Joanna Jedrzejczyk also retained their titles on an action-packed UFC 205 card on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
See the full results below:
Lightweight Championship Bout: Conor McGregor def. Eddie Alvarez via 2nd-round TKO
The legend of Conor McGregor became a little more golden at UFC 205 when he punched out Eddie Alvarez in the second round to add the lightweight belt to his own featherweight championship. "The Notorious" dictated the pace of the fight from the beginning, knocking Alvarez down three times in Round 1 and finishing the job with his lethal left hand to close out the show.
Recap: McGregor KOs Alvarez to become 1st simultaneous two-division champ
Welterweight Championship Bout: Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson ends in majority draw
True to the verdict, the bout was relatively evenly contested, but Tyron Woodley's exploits in Rounds 1 and 4 proved just enough to keep the belt around his waist. "The Chosen One" pummeled the challenger from top position in the former and had him out on his feet and on the verge of tapping to a guillotine choke in the latter. Not to be outdone, Thompson got the better of the remaining striking exchanges and puzzled Woodley enough for two judges to score the bout an even 47-47, while the remaining scorecard gave Woodley the nod by a 48-47 tally.
Recap: Woodley defends welterweight title after thrilling draw vs. Thompson
Strawweight Championship Bout: Joanna Jedrzejczyk def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz via unanimous decision
Joanna Jedrzejczyk survived a scare in the fourth round of her strawweight championship bout with Karolina Kowalkiewicz to defend her belt for a fourth straight time. One of the UFC's most dominant titleholders, Jedrzejczyk was in control for the first three rounds until Kowalkiewicz clipped her with a short right hand that had the champ reeling.
Once Jedrzejczyk regained her bearings, she found her striking rhythm again and finished with a strong fifth round to earn 49-46 scores across the board.
Recap: Jedrzejczyk outpoints Kowalkiewicz to retain strawweight title
Middleweight Bout: Yoel Romero def. Chris Weidman via 3rd-round TKO
Yoel Romero scrambled Chris Weidman's brain with a vicious flying knee before securing the stoppage with ground-and-pound at the 0:24 mark of Round 3. After an evenly contested first round and change, "Soldier of God" rode his Olympic-level wrestling to steal the middle frame, then leveled an unsuspecting Weidman with the strike to remain undefeated in the Octagon.
Watch: Romero cracks Weidman with flying knee for 3rd-round TKO
Women's Bantamweight Bout: Raquel Pennington def. Miesha Tate via unanimous decision
Raquel Pennington earned the biggest win of her career with three dominant rounds against former women's bantamweight champion Miesha Tate. The former "Ultimate Fighter" cast member showed off a mature all-around game as she got the better of Tate in the stand-up and on the ground. By the end of the fight, it was clear that Pennington had surpassed Tate, who abruptly announced her retirement following the loss.
Recap: Pennington bullies Tate to notch 4th straight victory
Watch: Miesha Tate announces retirement after loss at UFC 205
Featherweight Bout: Frankie Edgar def. Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision
As usual, Frankie Edgar had to overcome a scare or two to earn a victory. "The Answer" recovered from a second-round knockdown to reclaim control of the fight and keep Jeremy Stephens on his back long enough to sweep the scorecards. Thanks to fluid footwork, a mid-fight guillotine choke, and always reliable takedowns, Edgar was able to keep "Lil Heathen" out of range and (mostly) elude his deadly strikes to get back in the win column.
Recap: Edgar survives 3-round war to win unanimous decision over Stephens
Lightweight Bout: Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Michael Johnson via 3rd-round submission (kimura)
Any questions about Khabib Nurmagomedov's status as a contender were answered in violent fashion on Saturday. After a shaky start that saw Michael Johnson lighting him up with some crisp boxing, Nurmagomedov showed off the wrestling that has made him one of the most feared fighters in the UFC. He relentlessly took Johnson down and pounded on him in the first two rounds before finishing with a kimura lock in the third.
"The Eagle" is now 24-0 in his professional career.
Recap: Nurmagomedov taps Johnson, moves to 24-0
Middleweight Bout: Tim Boetsch def. Rafael Natal via 1st-round TKO
Tim Boetsch made his 20th Octagon appearance one to remember.
"The Barbarian" let his hands fly from the opening horn until a right hook put Rafael Natal on his hind parts. The grizzled vet calmly finished the job with some brief ground-and-pound just 3:22 into Round 1 to notch his second straight victory by TKO.
Recap: Boetsch KOs Natal in Round 1 with crushing right hand
Welterweight Bout: Vicente Luque def. Belal Muhammad via 1st-round KO
Vicente Luque is quickly establishing himself as one of the most dangerous fighters at 170 pounds.
With a first-round knockout of Belal "Remember the Name" Muhammad, Luque has now won four straight fights all by KO or submission. The two hungry fighters threw heavy hands at each other in an attempt to win over the Madison Square Garden crowd, but it was Luque who landed the kill shot with a left hook at the 1:19 mark of the opening frame.
Recap: Luque puts Muhammad to sleep with counter left hook for 1st-round KO
Catchweight Bout (163 lbs.): Jim Miller def. Thiago Alves by unanimous decision
Jim Miller relied on his crisp boxing and vaunted grappling to sweep the scorecards and spoil Thiago Alves' first fight in 18 months. "Pitbull" did some damage on the feet on more than one occasion, but a crafty Miller effortlessly put him on his back at the first sign of trouble. The New Jersey native consistently dictated where the action took place en route to his third straight victory.
Recap: Miller wins 17th UFC fight by out-grappling Alves
Women's Bantamweight Bout: Liz Carmouche def. Katlyn Chookagian via split decision
The footwork of Katlyn Chookagian wasn't enough to overcome the "Girl-Rilla."
Liz Carmouche survived a third-round head kick that badly rocked her to hold on for a split-decision win in the first UFC fight ever in New York City. The former Marine used her powerful wrestling to ground Chookagian early and often, controlling the majority of the first two rounds to eke out a victory on the scorecards.
Recap: Carmouche edges Chookagian to win 1st UFC fight in NYC
