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Conor McGregor is widely-revered for his exciting fighting style and iconic performances. One of his most memorable displays of martial arts prowess came six years ago on this day against Eddie Alvarez.
The then-UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor moved up in weight to challenge the then-UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez for his title. Their super-fight transpired at UFC 205 on November 12th, 2016, at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York.
The fight is considered by many to be one of McGregor's best ever, as he was near perfect against Alvarez. Round one saw 'The Notorious' drop his foe multiple times with his famed left hand. 'The Underground King,' to his credit, managed to survive and even went for takedowns against McGregor.
The Irishman masterfully defended against Alvarez's takedown attempts and clearly took round one on the judges' scorecards. McGregor continued his dominance in round two, craftily evading Alvarez's strikes and countering with precise punching combinations.
The veteran American fighter couldn't withstand McGregor's vicious striking onslaught in the second round. The fight ended via TKO at the 3:04-minute mark of round two after McGregor secured another knockdown and finished Alvarez with follow-up ground strikes.
UFC featherweight kingpin McGregor captured the UFC lightweight title and thereby became the first fighter to simultaneously hold titles in two UFC weight classes.
Watch highlights from McGregor's win at UFC 205 below:
Dana White's theory on Conor McGregor's recent setbacks in the UFC
Conor McGregor scaled great heights of success in his combat sports career but has lately faced massive setbacks inside the octagon. He's lost three of his last four MMA bouts. His most recent fight was a first-round TKO defeat in a lightweight matchup against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. The fight witnessed McGregor suffer a gruesome lower leg injury and resultantly lose via doctor's stoppage.
The consensus is that Conor McGregor, who's still on an injury hiatus, could make his much-awaited comeback in early 2023. He's likely to return to the welterweight division, albeit his opponent hasn't been finalized yet.
Speaking to Aaron Bronsteter of The Sports Network (TSN), UFC president Dana White opined that Conor McGregor's monumental financial success in recent years has adversely affected his will to fight.
The UFC boss lauded McGregor for his fearlessness and confidence in accepting fights against anyone despite being an underdog in the eyes of many. That said, he insinuated that the spoils of success hurt McGregor's MMA performances. White stated:
"The kid made a ton of money. When you say Conor hasn't had a good run lately, that's what happens when you're his age and make over $100 million. Money changes everything."
Watch White's assessment at 6:40 in the video below:
