UFC 229 – Preview – McGregor v Khabib

8 years ago - Sportingbase

The “Notorious” Conor McGregor returns to the octagon at UFC 229 against Khabib Nurmagomedov which will be held on Saturday, 6 October 2018 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The bad blood between the two opponents has been boiling since April this year when McGregor threw objects at the bus Khabib was travelling in, leading to charges being laid by Police against McGregor.

Support from punters has been for Khabib with leading bookmaker Bet365 installing the Russian as the $1.57 favourite with McGregor the outsider at $2.50. UFC fans are torn, Khabib’s recent dominance has seen him become one of the crowd favourites, while McGregor has been off the scene for quite some time.

Khabib doesn’t just win fights, he destroys any opponent that stands in front of him. The Russian has never faced someone as powerful and skilful as McGregor, but Khabib is relentless and savage.

McGregor looks the value. We know his strengths – He can knock an opponent out in as little as 13 seconds. He can hold belts in two different weight divisions at the same time. The list of fighters McGregor has defeated looks like a who’s who of UFC superstars. Conor talks the talk and walks the walk, although he hasn’t stepped into the octagon for over two years.

Khabib’s record is faultless, he has rarely been tested in his bouts. Unless McGregor can land a knockout blow in the first couple of rounds, it becomes a matter of when, not if, McGregor is taken to the floor. Khabib’s 26-0 record is somewhat incomplete though, with many saying “you have never fought McGregor.” He gets the opportunity to showcase his craft on the biggest stage with tens of thousands in the stadium and millions watching on PPV.

McGregor is a striker, he is going to throw and land a tirade of punches. Khabib a grappler that will be trying to keep McGregor on the mat. Both the best at their respective discipline. The Irishman is the biggest star in UFC, a champion who is ranked number two in the pound for pound ratings. His opponent, Khabib, is ranked at number eight.

McGregor is a remarkable talent, he has power, speed and precision. He is a remarkable talent, the complete package and for that reason, The Sporting Base are sticking their necks out and tipping the underdog McGregor.

*The Sporting Base encourages responsible gambling.

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