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Conor McGregor's UFC 229 clash with Khabib Nurmagomedov is among the most important fights of both men's careers. For 'The Eagle' in particular, it is the most important bout, as it was the most high-profile matchup he has ever taken part in and catapulted him to the stratosphere of mainstream stardom.
For the Irishman, the result was disastrous. The one-sided loss he suffered spelled the end of his status as an elite fighter in the eyes of many. Even prior to his two future losses to Dustin Poirier, some had written 'The Notorious' off, asserting that the game had passed him by.
But what if the outcome had been different? What if McGregor, as he had in prior career bouts, done the impossible and clipped 'The Eagle's' wings at UFC 229? What would that win have done for McGregor, and what would that loss have done to Nurmagomedov?
What a win would have meant for Conor McGregor?
The Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov feud is one of the most enduring in MMA history. The Dagestani legend retired from the sport several years prior, yet McGregor still takes every opportunity to swipe at his rival. Such is the hatred he feels for Nurmagomedov.
In fact, it is alleged that it is only because of this hatred that McGregor returned to the octagon at all in 2018. At the time, many had opined that McGregor had grown far too wealthy from his boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr. to concern himself with MMA again.
However, Nurmagomedov's now infamous hotel lobby confrontation with the Irishman's then close friend, Artem Lobov, had infuriated 'The Notorious' in a manner never before seen. He returned in violent fashion, bus attack and all, engaging in a ruthless trash-talking campaign that defined their feud.
The matchup was set, and McGregor's reputation was on the line. He had labeled Nurmagomedov a paper champion, and many had bought into the notion. After all, the Russian star had captured the vacant lightweight title against perennial overachiever Al Iaquinta.
McGregor, meanwhile, hadn't lost the title in the cage. He was stripped. So what would a win have done for him? It would have led to tremendous praise. First, fans would hail him as an even more extraordinary trash-talker than they already do, as many would attribute his win to him psychologically dismantling Nurmagomedov.
His star power would have heightened. He'd have gone down in history as the first man to ever beat Nurmagomedov, and it would have firmly enthroned at the top of the sport once more. Talks of McGregor's greatness in the cage would have been even more frequent.
A win may very well have also earned him a crack at welterweight gold. Tyron Woodley was the reigning champion at the time, beating Darren Till just a month before McGregor fell to Nurmagomedov. Given the Irishman's complete lack of interest in defending titles, he likely would have moved up in weight.
Given Woodley's overt weakness to forward pressure, lack of wrestling intent despite his credentials, tendency to back up in a straight line and throw little to nothing besides a right hand, McGregor's chances against him would have been strong. His strengths all prey on Woodley's vulnerabilities.
In becoming a three-division champion, he would have grown into an even bigger star, and propelled himself into the GOAT conversation. Curiously, Dustin Poirier could have ended up the undisputed lightweight champion, first beating Max Holloway for the interim title while McGregor pursued welterweight glory.
Since McGregor never defends titles, he would have been eventually stripped of the 155-pound strap, and Poirier would have been promoted to undisputed status.
What a loss would have meant for Khabib Nurmagomedov?
Even today, with all Khabib Nurmagomedov has accomplished, his legacy deserves scrutiny. He has not faced much elite competition compared to many of his contemporaries. Indeed, he spent the first half of his career fighting unknown opponents of no renown, several of whom had poor records.
Cody Garbrandt, for example, once an undefeated prospect, was a UFC champion in his 10th professional fight. Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, hadn't even signed to the promotion 10 fights into his career. He wasn't even close to doing so. Moreover, when he finally did sign with the UFC, he didn't face stiff competition.
He fought the then #11 ranked Al Iaquinta, of all people, for the vacant lightweight title. Before that, the only respectable foes he had beaten were Edson Barboza and, to his credit, future lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. Though only one of those opponents is considered elite.
So, when he beat Iaquinta for the title, though failed to finish him, many were unconvinced that Nurmagomedov was the boogeyman he was made out to be. He hadn't proven anything, and hadn't beaten anyone worth praising him for, at least in the eyes of his detractors, who were numerous at the time.
His fight with Conor McGregor was a defining moment for his legacy. Could he actually beat a true elite? Or was he an overhyped fraud like McGregor had previously claimed? Had Nurmagomedov lost to McGregor at UFC 229, it would have doomed his career.
Not only would many declare him 'exposed,' but the entire movement of Dagestani MMA would have never become what it was. UFC 229 is the most successful pay-per-view of all time, and offered Nurmagomedov the most high-profile, public platform to introduce him to the casual fanbase.
Nurmagomedov delivered in dominant fashion, sparking tremendous intrigue in him, as many became interested in him for his dominance. A large chunk of his mystique stems from being undefeated. If he had lost to McGregor, he would have lost all of that as well: ingredients that make up his star power.
More than that, he would not have become an icon of Muslim athletics if he had lost to a man who openly disrespected his religion, mockingly offering him, a devout Muslim, whiskey at a pre-fight press conference. He would go down as yet another champion who failed to defend his belt.
Nurmagomedov would have never recovered from the humiliation of the loss, his first-ever defeat. Years later, Islam Makhachev would not have been given a title shot for beating Bobby Green on short-notice, as there would have been no interest in Dagestani MMA thereafter.
There would be no desire to fill the Nurmagomedov vacuum following his eventual retirement after his father's tragic passing to COVID-19. So fighters like Khamzat Chimaev, who bear superficial similarities to him, would not have had as much hype behind them.
Undefeated fighters of Chechen and Dagestani descent would have been dismissed as hype jobs with padded records until one of them proved otherwise. Had Nurmagomedov lost, the MMA world would be a far different place.
