Styles make fights, they say. If that is indeed true, then fight fans are in for a treat when Conor McGregor makes his long-awaited return to the UFC against undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Here’s what you need to know.
When is the fight?
The fight is scheduled for UFC 229 on Saturday, Oct. 6.
Where will the fight take place?
At the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
At what weight class will they fight?
McGregor and Nurmagomedov will fight for the 155-pound lightweight title.
How can I watch?
It will be a UFC pay-per-view event; I will update this post once pricing and streaming details are announced.
When was the last time McGregor fought?
In a UFC fight, you have to go back to UFC 205 in November 2016 when McGregor TKO’d Eddie Alvarez to win the lightweight championship. The last fight of any kind for McGregor occurred in August of last year when he stepped into the boxing ring against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather and lost by TKO in the 10th round.
What has McGregor been up to in the last year?
He’s been fighting… the law. Tensions between McGregor and Nurmagomedov escalated to the point where McGregor threw a metal dolly at a bus of UFC fighters at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in the lead-up to UFC 223 last April. Nurmagomedov was the alleged target of the attack. McGregor was charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief. After a plea deal with the state of New York, McGregor can get back to his business of fighting not the law but other humans.
What do I need to know about Khabib Nurmagomedov?
He is 29 years old (30 by the time of the fight) and from Dagestan, Russia. He’s undefeated and the current UFC lightweight champion. He’s a wrestler and has a black belt in judo.
Why will their styles make the fight?
McGregor is a striker. Nurmagomedov is a grappler. These two opposing styles should make for a thrilling fight. Will McGregor’s elite striking ability keep Nurmagomedov from dragging him to the mat? If the fight goes to the ground, what will happen? Add in the fact that these two fighters already don’t like each other and the fight has the chance to be a classic.
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