UFC is ready to cap off its biggest year to date with arguably its best card ever. No, that's not exactly hyperbole when looking at the expected bouts on Saturday night in Madison Square Garden.
UFC 205 is set to bring us four champions in three fights. UFC has never had more than two title bouts on a single card. If that doesn't get you excited, then seeing (or hearing for that matter) Conor McGregor should definitely get you pumped for a big night.
Here's how the full fight card shakes out with the most up-to-date odds from Bovada.
| UFC 205 odds | ||
| Favorite | Challenger | Weightclass |
| Conor McGregor, -130 | Eddie Alvarez (c), +100 | Lightweight title |
| Joanna Jedrzejczyk (c), -375 | Karolina Kowalkiewicz, +285 | Women's strawweight title |
| Stephen Thompson, -210 | Tyron Woodley (c), +170 | Welterweight title |
| Chris Weidman, -190 | Yoel Romero, +155 | Middleweight |
| Miesha Tate, -165 | Raquel Pennington, +135 | Women's bantamweight |
With so much on the line, our team is here to give you some insight in the main card on Saturday.
The team: Bill Reiter (national columnist), Lyle Fitzsimmons (writer), Robby Kalland (writer), Matthew Coca (producer) and Brandon Wise (editor).
| UFC 205 Expert Picks | |||||
| Reiter | Fitzsimmons | Kalland | Coca | Wise | |
| McGregor vs. Alvarez | McGregor | McGregor | McGregor | McGregor | Alvarez |
| Jedrzejczyk vs. Kowalkiewicz | Jedrzejczyk | Jedrzejczyk | Jedrzejczyk | Jedrzejczyk | Jedrzejczyk |
| Thompson vs. Woodley | Thompson | Woodley | Woodley | Woodley | Woodley |
| Weidman vs. Romero | Weidman | Romero | Weidman | Weidman | Romero |
| Tate vs. Pennington | Tate | Tate | Tate | Tate | Pennington |
Fitzsimmons on why McGregor wins: Predicting Conor McGregor fights is all about perception. Some believe he's every bit the phenomenon he claims to be, while others suggest he's a front-runner who's been fed a series of beatable foes. I was on the fence before his most recent defeat of Diaz, in which, to me anyway, he showed a level of courage and fortitude I wasn't sure he possessed. Against Alvarez, I believe he's simply able to do more things and will overwhelm the champion with a combination of speed, athleticism and power.
Wise on why Alvarez wins: Call it whatever you want, but McGregor has not faced an opponent as dangerous as Alvarez yet. His last few foes do not possess the one-shot knockout power that the Philly-native does. While I think McGregor is the best thing to happen to the sport since Anderson Silva's reign of terror, I don't think he's well-rounded enough to last in this fight. If Alvarez is able to utilize his pinpoint wrestling skill, this might be over rather quickly.
Reiter on why Thompson beats Woodley: Thompson will own the space in the octagon, dominate his opponent with karate skills and counter-punching, all while solidifying himself at the top of the sport. Thompson is riding a seven-fight winning streak and is considered the favorite for a reason.
Kalland on why Woodley beats Thompson: Woodley looked very comfortable in his title fight with Robbie Lawler and was very patient looking for an opening to shoot that incredibly powerful right hand. He's aggressive, but smart about when to use his speed and power to strike and I think eventually he'll catch Wonderboy pressing and in a vulnerable spot to earn an early finish.
