Five Reasons Conor McGregor Will Destroy Eddie Alvarez

UFC 205 is slated to take place on Nov. 12 from the famed Madison Square Garden in New York. The event will mark the promotion’s first trip to the Empire State since the sport was legalized there last year, and the card is stacked to say the least.

The main event will feature a highly anticipated lightweight title fight between reigning 155-pound champion Eddie Alvarez and featherweight kingpin Conor McGregor. McGregor will look to make history, as he hopes to become the first man in promotional history to hold two titles at one time.

While his loyal fan base undoubtedly has his back, many feel as if McGregor is in over his head against the battle tested lightweight champion.

With that being said, it’s interesting to flip the script and take a look at five reasons why the “Notorious” one may very well destroy the lightweight boss.

McGregor’s Power

This is the most clear path to victory for McGregor, in my opinion.
The Irishman has proven to be an elite level striker and his power has led him to great successes within the sport, as 17 of his 20 career victories have come by way of knockout. In addition to that, six of his seven UFC featherweight victories have come by way of T/KO.

It is important to note that Alvarez will be the bigger man in this fight, but McGregor has competed at 155-pounds before and has seen success in doing so. Also, McGregor proved that not only he can get his hands on bigger men, but that he can drop them as well in his rematch with Nate Diaz last August. Diaz, a bigger, stronger natural lightweight, was dropped multiple times by the “Notorious” one early on in that bout.

If McGregor can indeed hit Alvarez, “The Underground King” may find himself in trouble, especially given our next reason…

Alvarez’s Chin

Alvarez is a highly experienced battle-tested veteran, and he’s seen success over the course of a lengthy career, but he’s also taken a plethora of damage throughout 32 professional fights. It’s important to note that Alvarez has only been knocked out once, which is an incredible statistic, but he has been dropped and he does often get hit.

The reigning champion has been through wars with Michael Chandler, and he came out of UFC fights with Donald Cerrone and Gilbert Melendez wearing the effects of a slug fest. If McGregor can indeed pass the guard of Alvarez, the Irishman’s power simply may be too much for the champion’s chin to handle.

McGregor’s Reach

While Alvarez is the bigger man in terms of natural size, he certainly isn’t the lengthier man and he’ll be at a somewhat significant reach disadvantage when he meets McGregor at UFC 205. To make things clearer, McGregor possesses a 74.0 inch reach as compared to Alvarez’s 69.0 inch reach.

At featherweight, the “Notorious” one typically towered over his opponents, and he used this advantage to pick his opponents apart from the outside before landing his patented left hand and finishing the fight. If he can implement a game plan that allows him to stay on the outside and outside of the grasp of Alvarez, he may be able to find himself a finish because of it as well as because of our previous reasons.

McGregor’s Improved Takedown Defense

While Alvarez is no slouch in the striking department, it’s clear that his biggest advantage against McGregor lies in the wrestling and grappling departments. In fact, the champion recently predicted that he would submit the Irishman in the second round on Nov. 12.

The only problem with this game plan is that McGregor has been working endlessly on his takedown defense and his submission defense since being choked out by Diaz last March. The Irishman has been working with Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Dillon Danis, and his improvements showed in the rematch with Diaz, as McGregor was able to stay off of his back and stay out of any submissions.

Now, I would argue that Alvarez is the better offensive wrestler as compared to Diaz, but if the Irishman can keep the bout on the feet, the lightweight boss may have a difficult time.

McGregor’s Motivation

When McGregor first entered the UFC, he made it clear that his goal was to become a two-weight world champion, an accomplishment he had reached on the regional circuit in Ireland. The “Notorious” one was preparing for this chance last March when he was scheduled to meet then lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, but dos Anjos was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury.

McGregor will now get the chance to complete his top goal on the grandest stage of them all, and I’d have to assume he’s coming in more motivated than ever.
There have also been rumors that McGregor will be taking time off after UFC 205. If that’s the case, there would be no better scenario for the Irishman then to walk away with two titles, ultimately setting up an epic return bout.

In conclusion, I’d like to make it clear that I don’t see Alvarez as any pushover, nor am I saying that he’s not as motivated as McGregor. He’s the champion for a reason and one of the toughest fighters in the UFC period. He could very well walk away with his title on Nov. 12, but there’s also a chance we witness history.

Who are you picking?