Khabib Nurmagamedov and Conor McGregor Faced Off For One Final Time Before Tomorrow Night’s Battle for the Lightweight Championship… Their Ceremonial Weigh-In Went Just About as You Would Expect…
This was genuinely the first time we’ve genuinely seen Khabib look a little bit taken aback. The atmosphere inside the T-Mobile Arena was insane and electric, with a full house of chanting Irish fans. No matter what you do, you can’t prepare yourself for that. You just have to brace yourself and ride the storm.
He faced off with his UFC 229 opponent and rival Conor McGregor for the final time at the ceremonial weigh-ins in Las Vegas. The pair will headline the main event and are set to put an end to their toxic grudge which has seen Artem Lobov get slapped and ‘The Notorious’ wind up in a jail cell.
As the challenger, McGregor was first out and lapped up the adulation of his fans. When he faced off with Khabib, it all got a little bit spicy. Oh, and he had Drake carrying an Irish tricolor for some reason. Why not?
The FINAL faceoff!
🇷🇺 @TeamKhabib vs. 🇮🇪 @TheNotoriousMMA
SEE YOU TOMORROW NIGHT! #UFC229 pic.twitter.com/3jVTuFL1Hp
— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2018
Intense
This is McGregor’s first UFC event since he dissected Eddie Alvarez back in 2016. The Irish phenomenon received a hero’s welcome. Not quite so for Khabib. The pair faced off and McGregor, ever aggressive, straight away tried to get in the Russian’s face.
He edged closer and closer, goading the Russian fighter, before hammering down on the Dagestani’s arm. Straight away Khabib’s entourage, with Javier Mendez in front, moved forward in protest. McGregor, enjoying his moment in the spotlight, then aimed a kick at the Russian. It was never going to make contact, but he was dragged back by security.
Meanwhile, Drake just stood there with the Irish flag draped over his shoulders. Well… Bellator has 50 Cent. It was exciting stuff and whipped the crowd into a frenzy. You also just have to love the way Bruce Buffer stands in the middle beaming, recording the audience.
LET'S GO!
Heavy hitters @TheBeast_UFC & @AlexDragoVolkov look to earn a title shot in Vegas! #UFC229 pic.twitter.com/IcHhpo0jUj
— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2018
Heavyweights
Their face-off was exciting, but Derrick Lewis and Alexander Volkov won the prize for pure carnage. ‘Drago’ was out first. His hulking long tall frame was topped off by a Russian hat. Lewis came charging onto the stage, ripped off his t-shirt and got in Volkov’s face.
He knocked the hat off the Russian’s head, and Volkov retaliated with a straight right that didn’t quite connect. Then he tried a roundhouse to the body. Meanwhile, half the security in Las Vegas was trying to hold back ‘The Black Beast’ who was trying to charge forward and take on his opponent. Dana White’s face turned from white to beetroot in seconds. It was fantastic.
Highlight reel LWs in the co-main slot!@TonyFergusonXT makes his awaited return vs @ShowtimePettis at #UFC229. pic.twitter.com/wqpAMNMyC2
— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2018
Record-Breaking
Everything about this card is set to break all sorts of records. It’s expected to sell more pay-per-views than any other card in MMA history. Meanwhile, McGregor’s purse and overall earnings will be higher than any other fighter in the history of the UFC. His Reebok sponsorship alone for this one fight will be more than every other fighter on the roster has earned together this year.
The talking is over. Now it’s time for all these folks to face each other and go to war.
