McGregor vs. Khabib: What You Should Know About the Big UFC Clash

Conor Mcgregor in press conference on 21 September 2018.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/ @thenotoriousmma)

UFC 229 will be having one of the most awaited and potentially most profitable fight in its bag . Every viewing record created in the sporting event’s history is deemed to stumble this Sunday.

For those of you who are not familiar with UFC arena, what you need to know is that the upcoming fight between Conor Mcgregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov is this year’s most awaited and the biggest fight in UFC history.

Conor Mcgregor is making a come back to the UFC after a long 693-day layoff. Last year, he stepped into the ring against Floyd Mayweather in a boxing ring. The Irishman managed to push through the 10th round, only to be defeated in the end by the former five-weight world champion. Conor was both, the lightweight and lightweight champion when he last fought a MMA fight in November 2016.

Khabib, on the other hand, is the reigning lightweight champion. Known as the most brutal fighter of the generation, he has never stepped out of a UFC fight without claiming victory. Either by a knockout or by raining punches on the exasperated opponent, Khabib always gets his prey.

Friends to Foes

Conor and Khabib were friends in the earlier part of their careers. The feud started when Khabib had an altercation with McGregor's sparring partner Artem Lobov.

Hearing this, Conor decided to give it back to Khabib. He flew across the Atlantic and attacked Khabib’s bus, even threw a metal dolly through the bus window. Following this, The Irishman was arrested in April, but escaped jail time after striking a deal with prosecutors.

Money Which Matters

UFC is all about making and raking money. This fight is expected to generate more revenue than the one between Mcgregor and Mayweather, that generated more than $600 million global revenues, including ticket sales, sponsorship and international distribution.

Mcgregor, with his ravishing lifestyle and arrogant persona, draws huge attention to the UFC universe. One can estimate his immense popularity by the fact that fights featuring him hold UFC records in four of the top five pay-per-view events.

The upcoming fight with Khabib is sure to go down as one of the most profitable in UFC’s history.

So Who Should Win This One?

And that’s the aspect where this particular fight gets interesting. Amongst all the reviews and speculation, no one is making a definite call.

Conor is often regarded as the most formidable UFC star ever, throwing controversies outside and hefty punches inside the ring. He has won 21 of the 24 matches he has fought in his career, 18 of them coming with clean knockouts.

Khabib is silent and monkish in the conferences but venomous and brutal with the gloves. He has never lost a match in the UFC. This could be a reason why people might want to bet their money on him but while Conor may be a good talker with the mic, he has managed the feat to defeat the undefeated before.

So will Mcgregor be able to hand Khabib his first UFC loss and prove he is still the boss. Or is Khabib the next big thing?