Major stars missing as UFC unveils several fights for New York debut

UFC officials will head to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday to officially unveil the lineup for the organization’s first card at the world’s most famous arena.

The event has taken several twists and turns over the last few weeks and is far from a finished product.

Several bouts for UFC 205 on Nov. 12 have already been announced, though the event as currently constructed lacks the star power that was expected for the historic event.

That could change when the entire card is released at a 3 p.m. news conference at the Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Several fights that were believed to be set for the event were not included among the five confirmed bouts announced on Wednesday.

Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley has said he will defend his belt against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, but that fight was notably absent from the list.

Al Iaquinta was set to fight on the card, but said in a radio interview he will not compete due to a contract dispute. Another New Yorker, Gian Villante, had to pull out of a potential fight against Marcos Rogerio de Lima on Wednesday due to an undisclosed injury.

A middleweight bout between Chris Weidman and Yoel Romero was also missing, along with big names like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey.

UFC president Dana White has repeatedly said Rousey will not compete on the card. McGregor suffered a leg injury during his UFC 202 win over Nate Diaz on Aug. 20, but it is believed he would be healthy enough to compete in New York.

McGregor posted a vague tweet on Tuesday night that appeared to indicate he was ready to headline the event but made it clear he was in a position of power.

“Beg me,” he wrote on his account.

There was speculation he would challenge Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight belt, but Alvarez now appears to be headed for a title defense against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 206 in Toronto.

Of course, that could all change before the UFC 205 news conference on Tuesday.

For now, only five fights are set.

A welterweight bout between Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Kelvin Gastelum joins a featherweight bout between contenders Frankie Edgar and Jeremy Stephens highlight the confirmed bouts.

Cerrone was originally booked for a bout against former welterweight champ Robbie Lawler, but Lawler elected to take more time off before returning to action after losing his belt to Woodley in July.

Former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans will also fight Tim Kennedy in a middleweight contest.

A middleweight bout between Tim Boetsch and Rafael Natal and a women’s bantamweight tilt between Katlyn Chookagian and Liz Carmouche round out the confirmed schedule.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj