UFC 229 Preview: Countdown to McGregor vs. Khabib

UFC 229 is upon us in a mere few hours.

Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov are set to take each other on in one of the biggest clashes in UFC history. The hype for the fight is unbelievable, as it has crossed all the thresholds of what was expected from them.

The press conferences, the weigh-ins, the face-off, and everything in between were tinged with the huge amounts of tension for fans of both the fighters.

At such a point, no one needs to be told what the stakes are for the fights. With an expansive Early Preliminary and Preliminary Card, and an excellent main event card, the only thing left to do for fans, is to wait and hope for their favourite fighters to come out on top in each fight.

The cancellation of the O'Malley fight left a hole in the prelims, but one that won't have an opportunity to be missed. With Alexander Volkov looking to continue his domination in the UFC, and the long-awaited fight between Tony Ferguson and Anthony Pettis, this card is one which has a number of blockbusters filling its length.

As it stands, the bouts on the card are as follows:

Early Preliminary Card:

1. Lina Lansburg vs. Yana Kunitskaya
2. Gray Maynard vs. Nick Lentz
3. Ryan LaFlare vs. Tony Martin

Preliminary Card:

1. Sergio Pettis vs. Jussier Formiga
2. Vicente Luque vs. Jalin Turner
3. Scott Holtzman vs. Alan Patrick
4. Aspen Ladd vs. Tonya Evinger

Main Card:

1. Michelle Wateson vs. Felice Herrig
2. Ovince Saint Preux vs. Dominick Reyes
3. Derrick Lewis vs. Alexander Volkov
4. Tony Ferguson vs. Anthony Pettis
5. Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov

Tune in to Sony ESPN or Sony ESPN HD to see the match.

You can see the preliminary and early preliminary card predictions here.

Let's take a look at three things we have to look forward to from tonight's main card:

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#1. Alexander Volkov's Domination:

UFC 229 Khabib v McGregor: Weigh-Ins

Alexander Volkov is set to face Derrick Lewis on UFC 229's Main Card. Volkov has not lost a single fight of his four bouts since joining the UFC. On the contrary, he has only gotten better and better with the progression of time.

With four wins under his belt for the company, another win against Derrick Lewis is sure to throw Volkov into possible title contention.

#2. Anthony Pettis vs. Tony Ferguson:

UFC 229 Khabib v McGregor: Open Workouts

In the co-main-event of the night, Anthony Pettis is set to take on Tony Ferguson. The winner of either these bouts could go on to become the number 1 contender for the UFC Lightweight title.

Paired with Nurmagomedov for three times before this, with each time being cancelled, Ferguson will be hoping that a win here will finally get him a shot at the title that he has been after for a while now.

A good showing by 'Showtime', however, could spoil things for him.

#3. Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov:

UFC 229: Khabib v McGregor Press Conference

A fight that has seen more drama than anyone expected, Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov are finally going to meet in the middle of the Octagon.

The build-up to this particular fight has been insane, making UFC 229 seem like a one-fight card despite having so many other good bouts. With the fan expectation and reaction seen from the fight, it is set to be the biggest ever UFC bout of all time, even crossing possibly, the Mayweather and McGregor boxing match of last year.

The two of them have held nothing back when it comes to throwing barbs at each other, and even the usually quiet Khabib could not help but retort to some of the jousts of his opponents.

From metal dollies and broken bus windows, to Proper 12 whisky, from wrestling and ground game, to a striking offence, and finally from the quiet dignified silence to the insults thrown by a man who has never kept quiet in his life, the two fighters have been through everything going into this fight.

Now, in five rounds of five minutes each, or less, one will emerge with all the bragging rights.

Who will be the UFC Lightweight Champion after tonight's fight? Tune in, to find out.