LAS VEGAS — Khabib Nurmagomedov was first on the scales at Friday morning’s official weigh-in for UFC 229 on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena. When Bob Bennett, the executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, called out “155,” much of the angst surrounding Nurmagomedov’s showdown with Conor McGregor for the UFC Lightweight Championship was gone.
Nurmagomedov, who has struggled to make weight in previous fights to the point of once being hospitalized, made the lightweight limit and promptly hopped off the scales, sending a message that he was ready to validate his title by taking on McGregor. An hour later, the Irishman weighed in at 154.5 for his first UFC bout in nearly two years, ensuring what is expected to be one of the richest fights in UFC history.
“I’m the UFC champion, undefeated and undisputed,” Nurmagomedov said. “I have to be careful because he has good timing and good boxing, but my wrestling and my pressure, he’d have to kill me to stop me. I’m going to stop this guy. I’m going to finish this guy. That’s my plan.”
McGregor hasn’t been in the Octagon since November 2016 when he won the UFC lightweight title against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in Madison Square Garden. In the interim he challenged Floyd Mayweather to a boxing match in August 2017 that earned him about $100 million. Now he returns to the UFC for the first of a six-fight deal.
Unbeaten in 26 MMA bouts, Nurmagomedov is the betting favorite having dominated the opposition while McGregor was taking his hiatus. A skilled grappler, Nurmagomedov is the master of takedowns and submissions. His goal will be to get McGregor on the ground and maul him with this strength submission holds.
Much of the McGregor’s mental warfare has been to get Nurmagomedov mad enough to want to fight him standing up. Along with mocking his record, McGregor has criticized his fighting style.
“You shoot for the legs and hold on for dear life,” McGregor said. “What kind of fighting is that? You’re a phony and a fake and I’m going to expose you, and I’m going to love every second of it.”
McGregor’s taunts haven’t seemed to rattle Nurmagomedov.
“He can say whatever he wants,” Nurmagomedov said. “When some alcoholic drunk guy talks, nobody cares about him. When we go to cage, we’ll see who talks.”
McGregor knows the longer he stays on his feet, the better his chances of winning. With his long reach, fast hands and precise timing, he remains one of the best strikers in the sport, carrying one-punch knockout power. It’s why the fight looks to go one of two ways: Nurmagomedov will get McGregor on the ground, tiring him out and then submit him. Or McGregor’s takedown defense will be good enough to make it a two-fisted brawl.
I’ll go with the latter. During his absence from the Octagon, McGregor trained for and took on the best boxer in the planet. If anything, his striking skills should have improved since he dropped Alvarez in the second round. Nurmagomedov has proven to be easy to hit and no one aside from Nate Diaz has been able to take McGregor’s punch.
In short, the Mayweather fight will help McGregor win this fight.
“It was a 30-minute match,” McGregor said of the Mayweather fight. “I learned some things. I was very happy with the experience as a whole. You’ll see on Oct. 6 the lessons I’ve learned.”
Nurmagomedov admits he’s still upset at what happened in April when McGregor and his posse attacked a bus in which Nurmagomedov was riding at Barclays Center.
“I’m angry and little emotional,” he said this week. “But my job when I go to the cage is to control my emotions. I have to stay relaxed and maul this guy. The most important thing is to stay relaxed when go into the cage.”
McGregor has predicted a first-round knockout. I see it in the second round when Nurmagomedov starts to take chances. McGregor says he’s ready to go the distance is needed.
“I will be prepared for 5 rounds,” he said. “You’re looking at a fighting veteran. I’ve been through it all. I’ve been on both sides of the world. I’ve been on the boxing side and I’ve been on this side. I’m ready for any occurrence. This is a glass jaw bum and I’m going to shatter him.”
Prediction: McGregor by TKO.
