UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor Preview and Picks
Ready for UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor picks and betting odds & predictions? Arguably the best fight card the UFC has ever put together comes our way this Saturday from MGG in New York, New York. The headliner is a UFC Lightweight Title fight between Champion Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor but the rest of the card is riddled with intriguing bouts that could go either way.
Let’s take a peek at the full fight card and what should go down on what promises to be a scintillating night of fights in the Big Apple.
UFC 205: New York
Alvarez vs. McGregor
Date: November 12, 2016
Venue: Madison Square Garden
Location: New York, New York
UFC 205: New York City Fight Card
Main Card (on Pay-Per-View):
Eddie Alvarez (28-4): +120 vs. Conor McGregor (20-3): -150
The Main Event of the Evening – the Lightweight Title Fight between Champion Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor has a chance to be one for the ages. In one corner you have the track-talking striker McGregor and in the other is well rounded champion Eddie Alvarez.
Alvarez bring with him his own set of striking chops but if he is going to win this fight it is going to be all about his ground-game – there are few that can keep up with The Notorious on the feet.
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Alvarez will have the obvious size and wrestling ability in this fight – we have all seen how McGregor can struggle against bigger foes in his fights with Diaz.
McGregor’s striking, as in every fight he takes will be a decided advantage – his power, his creativeness and his footwork are some of the best in the organization. My guess is that McGregor will have learned from his recent bouts with the wiry Diaz and that he is able to avoid the inevitable takedown attempts of his opponent.
I simply can’t look past McGregor’s striking ability here – I think he catches the champion with a power shot in what turns out to be a TKO win and a Fight of the Night bonus check!
MMA Betting Pick: Conor McGregor -150
Tyron Woodley (16-3): +160 vs. Stephen Thompson (13-1): -200
The Welterweight title will be on the line when Champion Tryon Woodley takes on Steven Thompson. How much faith does Vegas have in the current champ? They have made him a nearly two-to-one underdog in this fight!
Steven Thomson enters this bout in a seven-fight win streak. His game is striking and doing it well – he has seven KO wins in his 13 career victories. Woodley on the other hand will use his stifling style and will try to get this fight to the mat to limit the effectiveness of his opponent.
I think Woodley gets it done here – he not only has mad skills and a style that can take the thunder out off the Wonder Boy but he also has a huge chip on his shoulder heading into Saturday. He’s simply getting no love as Champ and I think he channels that emotion. Woodley have beaten names like Robbie Lawler and Kevin Gastelum along the way – Thompson hasn’t seen anything like those two so far.
Take the underdog champ to make a statement Saturday!
MMA Betting Pick: Tyron Woodley +160
Joanna Jedrzejczyk (12-0): -380 vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (10-0): +290
The Women’s Straweight strap will be on the line when champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk takes on Karolina Kowalkiewicz, who will enter this fight undefeated.
This is probably the easiest fight on the card for me to call – Jedrzejczyk is the best female fighter in the world in my eyes. There is always a puncher’s chance that the challenger will catch the champ but in this case I just don’t see it happening. Jedrzejczyk is just too good.
MMA Betting Pick: Joanna Jedrzejczyk -380
Donald Cerrone (31-7, 1 NC): -160
Kelvin Gastelum (12-2): +130
A very intriguing Welterweight fight comes our way Saturday when Donald Cerrone takes on Kevin Gastelum – the winner just may get a shot at the winner of the Woodley/Thompson bout. Cerrone is the veteran while Gastelum represents the up-and-coming youngster looking to make some noise.
Gastelum’s last fight was a win against Johny Hendricks – no easy feat while Cerrone rides a three fight win streak into the Octagon – all since dropping to Welterweight. Cerrone has been in there with the cream-of-the-UFC-crop and has fared very well the last few years while Gastelum is relatively new on the top tier scene.
My money here is on the younger, more unpredictable Gastelum in the upset. He proved against Hendricks that he isn’t afraid of top competition and that he has the skills to be locked up with the best. I think Cerrone is due for a letdown here and it comes against the relentlessness and athleticism of his 25 year old opponent.
MMA Betting Pick: Kevin Gastelum +130
Chris Weidman (13-1): -170 vs. Yoel Romero (12-1): +140
Former Middleweight Chris Wideman hops back into the Octagon for the first time since losing the Title in December, 2015. He takes on Yoel Romero with the winner getting the next shot at the belt. Romero returns from a failed drug test last December.
Romero is a knockout machine – 11 of his wins have come by way of knockout while Wideman has a 56% takedown accuracy – the former champ will try to get this fight to the mat and has a decent chance of doing so despite Romero’s very good 78% takedown defense. The knock on Romero has always been his gas tank – something that will be put to a serious test against Wideman on Saturday.
Simply put, Wideman is the better fighter here with more ways to win – he knows that he HAS to avoid Romero’s left hand and has the upper hand in almost every other aspect of this fight. In my mind Wideman is still the best Middleweight in the world – he proves it Saturday with a KO win.
MMA Betting Pick: Chris Wideman -160
Miesha Tate (18-6): -185 vs. Raquel Pennington (8-5): +150
Miesha Tate will look to stay on the title-radar Saturday and earn a shot at the winner of next month’s Rousey/Nunes battle but she has to beat a tough Raquel Pennington first. Tate is about as experienced as they come and although her record is nothing that stands out, the quality of her recent opponents does.
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Tate is 5-1 in her last six fights while Pennington rides a three fight win streak into the Octagon Saturday. While I love Tate’s grit and her submission/wrestling chops I cant’s help but think that she is looking past this fight toward a date for the Bantamweight strap. I think the all-around game of Pennington leads to a decision win for the underdog here.
Pennington has an ability to dictate the pace of a fight, she is terrific against fighters with Tate’s skillet and flies in a little under the radar here. I’m taking the underdog to grind one out.
MMA Betting Pick: Raquel Pennington +150
Preliminary Card (on FS1):
Frankie Edgar (20-5-1): -325 vs. Jeremy Stephens (25-12): +250
MMA Betting Pick: – Frankie Edgar 325
Khabib Nurmagomedov (23-0): -280 vs. Michael Johnson (18-10):+225
MMA Betting Pick: Khabib Nurmagomedov -280
Rashad Evans (19-5-1): +180 vs. Tim Kennedy (18-5): -230
MMA Betting Pick: Tim Kennedy -230
Preliminary Card (on UFC Fight Pass):
Jim Miller (27-8): +135 vs. Thiago Alves (21-10): -165
MMA Betting Pick: Jim Miller +135
Rafael Natal (21-7-1): -160 vs. Tim Boetsch (19-10): +130
MMA Betting Pick: Tim Boetsch +130
Liz Carmouche (10-5): +150 vs. Katlyn Chookagian (8-0): -185
MMA Betting Pick: Katlyn Chookagian -185