McGregor KOs Alvarez to become 1st simultaneous 2-division champ

He did it.

On the 23rd anniversary of the first-ever UFC event, Conor McGregor defeated Eddie Alvarez by second-round knockout to win the lightweight title and become the promotion's first fighter to simultaneously reign over two weight divisions in the main event of UFC 205 in New York City's Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

The reigning featherweight king showed unwavering confidence in his granite hands, effortlessly unleashing a combination of lefts and rights that found Alvarez's dome at the 3:04 mark of Round 2. The opening frame's exchanges were equally lopsided, if not more so, as "The Notorious" sent Alvarez to the canvas on three separate occasions.

Moments after making history, the newly crowned two-division champ demanded his second belt be brought to him before proudly brandishing a strap on each shoulder to immortalize the triumph. "The Notorious" has now won two straight marquee matchups, last edging Nate Diaz in a bloody five-round rematch at UFC 202.

McGregor had previously teased viewers that they'd be in for a major announcement after Saturday's proceedings, but the revelation proved anti-climactic, despite being met with raucous applause from those in attendance at Madison Square Garden.

The victory effectively outed Alvarez as a one-and-done champion, as he'd just handed Rafael dos Anjos a similar fate to win the title this past July. "The Underground King" appeared doomed from the opening horn, as McGregor promptly took the center of the Octagon before treating him to his deadly left at will. Alvarez's futile attempts to return fire amounted to little more than a handful of strikes to the body, at which the Irishman casually balked.

Alvarez sees his three-fight win streak snapped with the defeat. His UFC record now stands at 3-2.