Look At The UFC's Best Moments From The World's Most Famous Arena:
Even though the UFC Octagon has only called Madison Square Garden home four times, the world’s greatest arena has been the setting for some incredible and iconic moments.
As we prepare for UFC 268: Usman vs Covington 2, look back at the best UFC moments to happen at MSG.
Best UFC Moments From Madison Square Garden
Best UFC Moments From Madison Square Garden
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UFC 205 – November 12, 2016
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 07: General view of UFC 205 digits billboards in Times Square on November 7, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
When Conor McGregor knocked out Eddie Alvarez to claim the UFC lightweight title it was truly an electric ending to a perfect night. There was so much anticipation in the lead up to the UFC’s first event in New York City, and for it to go down as it did with three title fights plus incredible performances by the likes of Yoel Romero, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Vicente Luque and many more, it couldn’t have been more perfect.
It was the right way to kick off the history between the UFC and MSG.
UFC 217 – November 4, 2017
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 04: A general view of the Octagon during the UFC 217 event inside Madison Square Garden on November 4, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
One-upping UFC 205 was a tough task, but bringing one of, if not the, greatest fighters in UFC history back certainly helped UFC 217 become one of the biggest events in company history.
From start to finish, UFC 217 brought the heat. It started out with Ricardo Ramos landing a masterful spinning elbow KO against Aiemann Zahabi and ended with Georges St-Pierre making his epic return against middleweight champion Michael Bisping.
In addition, TJ Dillashaw and Rose Namajunas both were spectacular en route to winning their respective titles. It may not have been the first MSG event, but UFC 217 will always be a standout night.
UFC 230 – November 3, 2018
A general view of the Octagon during the UFC 230 event inside Madison Square Garden on November 3, 2018 in New York, New York. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
At UFC 230, future middleweight champion Israel Adesanya backed up all his smack talk with a jaw-dropping performance against Derek Brunson. “The Last Stylebender” pieced Brunson up and finished his KO win with a dance that made its way on to every highlight reel. It was the moment that the world realized Adesanya was going to be the UFC’s next big star.
UFC 230’s Fight of the Night went to longtime veterans Jacare Souza and Chris Weidman after the two absolutely left it all in the Octagon. Both fighters traded strikes and battled through adversity until Souza was able to land the finishing blow. Although the stoppage was a little awkward, it was the correct time to call the fight and protect Weidman from absorbing more damage.
While it might not have had as many title fights or as much star power, UFC 230 was unforgettable.
UFC 244 is unlike any other UFC event in history. The UFC created a title based off a nickname and it was perfect. The “BMF” title was born and up for grabs between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz, live in front of a sold-out crowd at MSG.
But before two of the realest in the sport threw down, the fans inside MSG were treated to two magnificent head kick KOs. Edmen Shahbazyan announced his presence as a real middleweight contender by finishing Brad Tavares with a beautifully disguised high kick and Kevin Lee silenced critics by landing a devastating head kick on Gregor Gillespie.
Then it was time for the BMF belt, which was introduced by The Rock, which was awesome. Masvidal and Diaz put on a very entertaining scrap, with Masvidal landing powerful shots and pouring on the damage. Masvidal was in control, but Diaz was gaining momentum heading into the final rounds when the doctor chose to call the fight due to a cut on Diaz’s eye.
It was an anticlimactic end to an incredible night, but the execution of the event and the moment remains top notch.
Don't miss a single strike of UFC 268: Usman vs Covington 2, live from Madison Square Garden in New York City on ESPN+ on November 6, 2021. Prelims begin at 6pm ET / 3pm PT, main card starts at 10pm ET / 7pm PT.
