Undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov (26-0) will put his Lightweight championship on the line this weekend at UFC 229 when he faces the biggest star in MMA history and former Lightweight champion Conor McGregor (21-3).
Background
The 5th of April 2018 isn’t a date that will be familiar with most UFC fans but in reality it’s the date that lit the match on the biggest fight in UFC history. After the conclusion of UFC 223 media day, McGregor and a group of individuals were let into the venue without permission. In what appeared to be a premeditated attack which escalated quickly, McGregor and his crew proceeded to attack a bus where fighters from the UFC 223 card had been put onto buses to return to the host hotel. The attack was a result of a confrontation between Nurmagomedov and McGregor’s close friend and training partner Artem Lobov earlier in the week. UFC president Dana White would later describe the event ‘This is the most disgusting thing that has ever happened in the history of the company.. You can imagine he (Conor McGregor) is going to be sued beyond belief, this was a real bad career move for him’. While McGregor was arrested shortly afterwards, he received basically a slap on the wrists and although he is still in the middle of a number of lawsuits resulting from the attack, it seems everyone has benefited from this ‘disgusting’ attack.
The Fighters
Khabib Nurmagomedov
Record: 26-0
Best Wins: Rafael Dos Anjos, Michael Johnson, Al Iaquinta
Strengths:
Khabib ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov has a style of wrestling never seen before in the UFC and his ability to take down opponents with ease is his greatest strength. He is a two time combat sambo champion and the high pace he maintains allows him to put his opponent under constant pressure before he can secure the takedown. He is yet to even lose a round as an MMA fighter and while he has been accused of being inactive in the past, mainly due to his tendency to pick up injuries, he certainly performs at the highest level every time he fights.
Nurmagomedov has the ability to shoot from different angles and distances and this includes everything from suplexes to leg trips. His most impressive win to date was against future champion Rafael Dos Anjos who was on a 5 fight win streak when the pair faced off back in April 2014. Time after time, Nurmagomedov was able to secure the takedown and basically control Dos Anjos from the top as he secured a comfortable unanimous decision victory. This was the first big fight Nurmagomedov had in the UFC and it really was the fight which started his march to the title.
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In his fight at the inaugural Madison Square Garden card with Michael Johnson (UFC 205) he demonstrated another side as he not only put a severe beating on Johnson but he also attempted to persuade Johnson to give up several times before he secured a Kimura in the 3rd round. This ironically was the same card that Conor McGregor secured the Lightweight championship allowing him to become the first dual champion in the UFC’s decorated history. Nurmagomedov said after the fight about McGregor ‘Your guy beginning of the year he tapped like chicken, end of the year he fight for the title, I want to fight your chicken as this is number 1 easy fight in Lightweight division’.
In April this year at UFC 223, Nurmagomedov fought New York’s Al Iaquinta to win the Lightweight belt after McGregor had been stripped and both Tony Ferguson and Max Holloway had to withdraw for various reasons. Despite taking the fight on short notice Iaquinta went the full 5 rounds and when he was able to keep the fight on the feet he looked like he could cause Nurmagomedov trouble. This was perhaps the fight that made people believe that the undefeated fighter was in fact beatable.
How Nurmagomedov wins: Close the distance and keep the fight on the canvas.
Conor McGregor
Record: 21-3
Best Wins: Jose Aldo, Nate Diaz (2), Eddie Alvarez
Strengths:
Conor ‘The Notorious’ McGregor makes his highly anticipated return to the octagon this weekend after not competing in the UFC since November 2016 where he defeated Eddie Alvarez to win the Lightweight title. Despite his prolonged absence his name has been constantly linked with the UFC and his return is one that is badly needed as PPV numbers continue to deceive.
McGregor made his UFC debut back in April 2013 and the last 5 plus years have seen him become both the Featherweight and Lightweight champion which allowed him to become the first dual champion in the company’s history. Over the years McGregor has beaten the likes of Max Holloway, Dustin Porier, Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo, Nate Diaz and Eddie Alvarez. It really is an impressive resume considering the careers of these respected fighters. He has demonstrated a level of mental warfare never seen before in the UFC and his ability to back up his words is what’s elevated him to become the first truly global superstar in the UFC’s history.
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The biggest strength in McGregor’s armor is undoubtedly his left hand and combined with his ability to judge distance along with precise timing has seen him compile a 9-1 record in the UFC. He likes to use leg kicks to check his opponent before connecting with the left hand to devastating effect.
McGregor’s 13 second knockout of Featherweight king Jose Aldo remains his most impressive victory to date as he became the first full champion from Ireland. In the lead up to the fight McGregor and Aldo did a world tour and it became clear that McGregor was able to get into Aldo’s head. This is arguably what caused Aldo to naively move forward before McGregor was able to catch him with the straight left. It was clear from this fight that McGregor was no ordinary fighter as he wrote himself into UFC history.
Shortly after becoming the UFC Featherweight champion, McGregor was scheduled to go up in weight class and fight the then defending champion Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 196. After Dos Anjos was forced to withdraw from the fight, UFC legend Nate Diaz stepped up to fight the seemingly unstoppable Irishman. As a result of the short time (11 days), UFC president Dana White announced the fight would be at Welterweight. The fight didn’t go as intended for McGregor and although he won the 1st round he got caught in the 2nd round and then was easily submitted for his 3rd professional loss (all via submission). However, McGregor showed great adversity to immediately request a rematch where he got his revenge on Diaz (UFC 202) in one of the best fights ever in the UFC via majority decision.
How McGregor wins: Use his reach advantage to control the distance and keep the fight standing.
Fight breakdown
On paper this is Southpaw versus Orthodox and Striker versus Wrestler in a classic style match up more common in the early days of the UFC. However McGregor’s ability to get in the head of his opponent might also play a part. At the recent press conference in New York the Irishman left no stone unturned as he brought up Dagestan and Chechnya relations, Nurmagomedov’s family as well as the Brooklyn bus incident. Nurmagomedov did fire back with some jibes about McGregor’s inability to wrestle as well as his desire to ‘smash this guy’. McGregor outlined his plan for the fight ‘Domination, he has a glass jaw and I have seen this man wobble many times, I know he is afraid of a smack and if you are afraid of a smack off me it will feel like a double barrel shotgun’.
In terms of high profile fight experience McGregor is definitely in a better position coming into this fight. Nurmagomedov might be undefeated but he is not used to the big stage and has not beaten the same calibre of opponents as McGregor. McGregor’s boxing match last year against the greatest defensive boxer of all time Floyd Mayweather (50-0) will definitely have improved his already impressive boxing skills but how much have his other MMA skills being affected by focusing solely on one area. It is no secret that McGregor looks his best in the early rounds and it will be here that he will look to finish the fight.
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McGregor’s game plan will be to keep the fight standing while Nurmagomedov will look to use his wrestling to get the fight to the canvas. This will without doubt decide the outcome of the fight. If McGregor can keep his distance while using his reach and timing to catch Nurmagomedov with his left then he will surely come out on top. McGregor is a terrific counter puncher and can put someone to sleep even if he is on the back foot. Nurmagomedov will look to shoot for the take down almost immediately and if he can secure this with the same ease that Chad Mendes was able to previously, it will be a long night for McGregor. To summarize, it is hard to see the fight going past 2 rounds and McGregor coming out victorious.
Dana White said recently that the fight looks set to break the UFC PPV record which currently stands at 1,650,000 set by UFC 202 for the McGregor Diaz rematch. For both men history and legacy is at stake and while one man will march on the other will be left to reflect on what could have been. Regardless of the outcome, this fight will surely not disappoint as the biggest clash in the UFC’s history takes place.
UFC 229 Main card starts Sunday, October 7th at 1pm (AEST)
