UFC 205 main event: Three reasons why Eddie Alvarez will beat Conor McGregor

The UFC lightweight champion is no slouch and should do well in his card's premier match

By Brandon Wise

Nov 9, 2016 at 3:22 pm ET • 1 min read

To the casual UFC fan, Eddie Alvarez may seem like another pushover champion being fed to Conor McGregor. I mean, McGregor did almost literally walk through a champion that was undefeated for nearly a decade (Jose Aldo). So when he was granted a title shot against Alvarez at UFC 205, a lot assumed this was going to be a great show that ends in a super quick knock out for the Irishman.

Not so fast.

The newly-crowned lightweight champion may have just gotten his first UFC belt, but Alvarez is definitely not a pushover. Alvarez holds a 28-4 professional record and is riding three-fight winning streak, including a demolition of Rafael dos Anjos in July.

Here are three reasons why you may want to think about taking Alvarez on Saturday night in New York.

1. He's a well-rounded fighter: While fights fans are going to hope for a stand-up show similar to McGregor-Diaz II, Alvarez has the strength and ability to get McGregor on the ground, the weakest part of his game. Alvarez does possess the knockout power everyone wants to see, but if he's smart, he'll utilize his Brazilian jiu-jitsu and take the fight to the ground where McGregor's three career losses have come from.

2. He's a fresher fighter: I know it's not something we often think about or even really realize because fans just want to see guys in the octagon as often as possible, but fighting hurts and takes a toll on the body. Alvarez has fought two times this year for a total of roughly 19 minutes in the octagon. McGregor has also fought two times this year and those wars with Nate Diaz totaled about 34 minutes. That may not seem like a lot, but when you factor in that this will be McGregor's sixth fight since January 2015 without any real break, it is bound to catch up with him at some point.

3. Fighters always have a puncher's chance: It may feel like a cop out, but in UFC, it couldn't be more true. Just look at how much turnover the champions have had just this year. Out of 10 weightclasses, only two (TWO!) champions have successfully defended their titles more than one time. Suffice to say, any fighter can lose on any given day.