Thiago Alves Moves to 155 Pounds, Meets Al Iaquinta at UFC 205 in New York

The UFC’s New York debut has its first bout, as Thiago Alves will lock horns with Al Iaquinta in a lightweight affair.

While the UFC has not officially announced the fight, multiple outlets have confirmed the pairing. Combate was the first to report the bout. UFC 205 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 12 and is expected to be a blockbuster card, as it marks the first time the promotion has been able to hold an event in the Empire State.

After a lengthy stint at 170 pounds in the Octagon that included a title bout against then champion Georges St. Pierre, Alves will make his lightweight debut against Iaquinta. The 32-year-old American Top Team product last competed at UFC Fight Night 97 in Brazil in May 2015, losing to Carlos Condit via doctor stoppage after two rounds.

Iaquinta, meanwhile, hasn’t competed since a controversial split verdict over Jorge Masvidal at UFC Fight Night 63 in April 2015. The Serra-Longo Fight Team representative has won four straight contests and seven of his last eight in the promotion overall.