'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
UFC Lightweight Champion and undefeated fighter, Khabib Nurmagomedov is set to take on UFC Celebrity, 'The Notorious One' Conor McGregor in a fight at the main event of UFC 229. The build-up for the show has begun in earnest as more and more fans predict the winner of the fights.
Some say that Khabib will surely decimate Conor McGregor, in the same manner, that has brought him where he is so far. [You can check out some of the reasons here]
Some others, on the other hand, talk about how 'The Notorious One' will have a triumphant return to UFC, and regain his Lightweight Championship, which he had never even lost. [Reasons are listed here]
Both men have had strong opinions about the other, and both men have their own base of fans, while the neutral Mixed Martial Art fans (if there even is such a thing for this fight), look on, as they are guaranteed, if nothing else, a night of entertainment when these two metaphorical behemoths clash in the most eagerly anticipated pay-per-view fight of the year so far.
While we have talked about the Early Preliminary predictions for the fight, here we will be dealing with the main event of the main card, as we look at what we know about McGregor vs. Khabib so far.
#1. Conor McGregor's Mind Games:
Khabib has never been the most silent opponent for any UFC fighter to face in a match, however, when it comes to Conor McGregor, the Russian fighter runs out of things to say.
At the UFC 229 Presser, when push came to shove (thankfully, not literally) McGregor dominated the question answer section, hardly allowing Khabib to get a word in edge-wise. Although Khabib looked like he was content with sitting silently for most of the presser, by the end, he was trying his best to have his views heard.
Each time he started, Conor is his usual arrogant way, shut him up before even the semblance of a proper point could be made. While this left some people thinking that Conor was particularly undignified, that is far from the case.
When it comes to pressers, this is one of the tactics that Conor uses to make his opponents feel like they are already being bullied. This helps further as they get into the Octagon, and McGregor can actually bully them even there.
#2. A Controversial Referee For A Controversial Bout:
If there is something that was not lacking in the build-up for the main event of UFC 229, it was controversy. And lo and behold. The addition of a referee for the bout has led to even further discussion.
Once thought to be one of the most faultless officials, Herb Dean has been added as the referee for the main-event Lightweight Championship bout. What makes this a controversial decision is Dean's recent history.
He does have a controversial decision of stopping the Renan Barao vs. Urijah Faber fight under his belt, where Dana White said that 'he made a mistake', but more than that, it's the recent fight in Moscow that has led to criticism for Dean.
The official did not stop a fight between CB Dollaway and Murtazaliev at UFC Fight Night 136: Moscow, when it should have been stopped, and Dollaway was beaten to an inch of his life as a result.
Given this decision, Dean is one of the most heavily criticised referees of late, and his addition to the bout has reopened the debate.
#3. The Dolly and Everything Else in between:
In a moment that he has since come to regret, although it is unlikely he will ever admit it, Conor McGregor's throwing, of the metal dolly at the bus is something that cannot be ignored in the build-up of the fight.
And why should it be ignored? UFC has definitely not ignored it and has even included it in the promo.
Due to Khabib insulting and striking Conor's friend, McGregor displayed his ever-calm and pleasant temperament by showing up with goons at a UFC presser, and then seeing that Khabib was in the bus, attacked it by throwing a metal dolly. While it has been argued he never meant to break the window of the bus, break it he did, injuring two fighters who had to be withdrawn from the event.
He has since, and continues to face legal action due to this.
The incident served to be the extremely heated spark to an already heated feud.
#4 Clash of styles:
One of the things that we know going into this bout that both fighters are training for it extremely hard.
However, it is important to talk about the fact that both of them have extremely different styles in their approach to fighting in the Octagon.
While Conor prefers a more direct striking knockdown approach, for Khabib, ground wrestling is his strong suit. Most of Conor's fights have a tendency to end in the first round.
For Khabib to have a chance in this fight, it is important for him to be able to get past the first round. Once past the first few rounds, he will be able to work his way around Conor and finish the job.
For Conor, on the other hand, it is important to win the fight that is coming up in the first few rounds. One left hook, and UFC will have a new Lightweight Champion.
