Featherweight champion Conor McGregor capped the UFC's triumphant return to New York by knocking out Eddie Alvarez to claim the lightweight crown.
The Irish MMA superstar becomes the first fighter in UFC history to claim UFC championships in two weight classes.
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McGregor makes UFC history
Conor McGregor defeats Eddie Alvarez to become the first UFC fighter to hold two titles.
Southpaw McGregor downed Alvarez three times in the opening round, leaving the champion stunned and on the back foot, and it didn't get any better for the Philadelphia native.
Alvarez's attempts to take the fight to the mat were thwarted by the 28-year-old, who continued to dictate the pace in the second in front of a packed house, most of whom were cheering for the Irishman.
![Conor McGregor holds up his title belts.](/web/20161115044929im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/o/d/2/0/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gsocws.png/1479093781000.jpg)
Midway through the second round McGregor unleashed another combination, leaving no way back for Alvarez as McGregor pounced to finish the fight.
"Eddie is a warrior but he shouldn't be in here with me. You've got to have size, reach, length, you've got to have attributes," he told ring announcer Joe Rogan following the bout.
"I'd like to take this chance to apologise ... to absolutely nobody. The double champ does what he wants," he roared before taking his two belts and scaling the side of the octagon to celebrate.
With the ban on mixed martial arts lifted earlier this year, the UFC returned to New York after an absence of over two decades, staging a card stacked with fights and backed up by a ton of hype.
![No contest: Conor McGregor, left, taunts Eddie Alvarez during the lightweight title fight.](/web/20161115044929im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/o/d/1/t/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gsocws.png/1479052464432.jpg)
HISTORY in NEW YORK CITY!! #UFC205 #UFCNYC @TheNotoriousMMA pic.twitter.com/2sD7jDP5jT
— #UFC205 (@ufc) November 13, 2016
While others on the bill failed to live up to it, McGregor once again proved his value to the UFC by putting on a spectacular show with another superb knockout win to go with his 13-second defeat of Jose Aldo for the featherweight crown.
Earlier in the evening women's strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk weathered a late storm from her Polish compatriot Karolina Kowalkiewicz, holding on to win a unanimous decision after an epic five-round battle.
![Trading blows: Karolina Kowalkiewicz of Poland (right) fights compatriot Joanna Jedrzejczyk in their women's strawweight championship bout.](http://web.archive.org./web/20161115044929im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/o/d/8/3/image.imgtype.articleLeadwide.620x349.png/1479021451460.png)
Trading blows: Karolina Kowalkiewicz of Poland (right) fights compatriot Joanna Jedrzejczyk in their women's strawweight championship bout. Photo: Michael Reaves
Jedrejczak won a unanimous decision, 49-46 on all three judges' scorecards, in the third-to-last bout at UFC 205, but was rocked by her Polish compatriot's sturdy right hand.
"I wasn't hurt that badly," Jedrejczak said. "She is tough. I stay champion because I am humble every day and I challenge myself every day. I didn't disrespect Karolina -- I knew it would be a really tough fight."
In the other title fight on the card, welterweight champ Tyrone Woodley thought he had seen off the challenge of Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson to claim a narrow split decision, but the result initially announced in the octagon was corrected after several minutes and changed to a majority draw.
![Tyron Woodley (left) in action against Stephen Thompson in their welterweight championship bout.](http://web.archive.org./web/20161115044929im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/o/d/7/q/image.imgtype.articleLeadwide.620x349.png/1479021427665.png)
Tyron Woodley (left) in action against Stephen Thompson in their welterweight championship bout. Photo: Michael Reaves
Reuters / USA Today