Cleveland got its first UFC event in September, and not surprisingly, it was local hero Stipe Miocic headlining the event, along with former WWE superstar CM Punk making his pro MMA debut on the undercard. It was Miocic’s show, though, as he halted Alistair Overeem to retain his crown.
Bisping returned home to Manchester, England in October, winning his rematch with Dan Henderson in what would be the last fight in the storied career of “Hendo.”
November saw the crowning of Martin Bravo as the TUF Latin America lightweight winner, and a week later, it was one of the biggest events in UFC history as the promotion returned to New York for the first time since 1995. UFC 205 also marked the first event in New York City’s Madison Square Garden and the promotion brought the big guns to the tune of three title fights.
In the main event, McGregor became the first fighter to hold two UFC titles simultaneously when he defeated Eddie Alvarez for the 155-pound belt. Woodley and Stephen Thompson fought to a five-round Fight of the Night draw in their welterweight title bout, and Jedrzejczyk retained her 115-pound title by defeating Karolina Kowalkiewicz.
On The Ultimate Fighter 24, there was a twist to the usual competition, as flyweight champions from around the globe competed for a shot at UFC champ Johnson. When the dust settled, it was Tim Elliott winning the tournament, and while he gave “Mighty Mouse” a tough go, it was Johnson again emerging victorious in their December 3 bout.