UFC 205 Predictions
The UFC makes its debut at Madison Square Garden tonight for UFC 205. Here are our picks for tonight’s three championship bouts.
UFC Lightweight Championship – Conor McGregor (20-3) vs. Eddie Alvarez (28-4)
Alvarez makes his first title defense at 155 pounds against the current 145-pound champion. He has won three straight, including his first round TKO win over former champ Rafael dos Anjos in July. McGregor has went 1-1 in two fights with Nate Diaz since winning the 145-pound title last December. Oddsmakers at Bovada.lv have McGregor as a -140 favorite while Alvarez is listed with +110 odds. Both men rely on striking, but McGregor has the size and reach advantage despite being the fighter at a lower weight. He looks like he has tacked on some mass in the last year and appears up for this challenge. Look for McGregor to work the body and tire Alvarez before putting him down with a flurry in the second or third round. UFC 205 FREE PICK: CONNOR McGREGOR -140
UFC Welterweight Championship – Steven Thompson (13-1) vs. Tyron Woodley (16-3)
Woodley is making his first title defense since winning the championship in a first-round KO of Robbie Lawler in July. Thompson has won seven straight coming into this bout, including a decision win over Rory MacDonald last week. Oddsmakers have Thompson favored to win the title, as he is getting odds of -210 to win, while Woodley has a money line of +170 to win. Thompson is a tremendous striker with great foot movement. Woodley is more of a power striker that tries to go for the big finish early. He also is a solid grappler, an area that Thompson is unproven. In this fight, I like Woodley as an underdog. His power is tough to handle, especially early in the fight. Look for him to overwhelm Thompson and score the KO. UFC 205 FREE PICK: TYRON WOODLEY +170
UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship – Joanna Jedrzejczyk (12-0) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (10-0)
Jedrzejczyk is the defending champion, looking to defend her title for the fourth time. She last fought in July, beating Claudia Gadelha by decision. Kowalkiewicz is 3-0 in her UFC career and coming off a decision win over Rose Namajunas in July. Oddsmakers have Jedrzejczyk as a -375 favorite tonight while Kowalkiewicz is listed with odds of +285 to win. The champion is an aggressive striker with great kicks and punches and sound takedown defense. The challenger is a scrappy fighter as well that shows a lot of durability. However, Jedrzejczyk should be too much for her. The champ puts on tremendous pressure and should out-point Kowalkiewicz. UFC 205 FREE PICK: JOANNA JEDRZEJCZYK -375