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UFC 229 has a bunch of fights on the schedule, but there’s one that everyone is waiting for: Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. The matchup marks the first fight for McGregor in UFC in nearly two years—during which he fought a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather and created his own Irish whiskey—and he has a heck of an opponent to go up against in the undefeated Nurmagomedov.
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The lightweight title match is the big draw for UFC 229, but there are some other strong matchups on the card as well, including with fighters like Tony Ferguson, Anthony Pettis, Alexander Volkov, Dominick Reyes, and Derrick Lewis. But like any fight he’s a part of, McGregor will be the center of attention.
The press conference for the fight illustrated the craziness that McGregor can bring to an event. Take a look:
Here’s what you need to know about UFC 229.
The Basics
Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov faces-off with Conor McGregor during the UFC 229 Press Conference at Radio City Music Hall on September 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
UFC 229 is happening on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main fight card will get started around 7 p.m. E.T., while the title fight between McGregor and Nurmagomedov likely will begin around 11 p.m. E.T. You can watch the UFC 229 preliminary matches on FX, as well as UFC Fight Pass, streaming network from the UFC. The main events will be on pay-per-view, which you can buy online and through your cable/TV provider.
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The Main Event
Like most UFC events, the main fight is the one getting the most attention—and for good reason. McGregor is arguably one of the best professional fighters of all-time and the most high-profile UFC athlete currently fighting. Adding to the excitement for the match is the fact that the last time McGregor was in a ring of any kind for a professional match was against Floyd Mayweather in the summer of 2017.
Conor McGregor poses for photos during the UFC 229 Press Conference at Radio City Music Hall on September 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
While that fight made McGregor richer than any other UFC fighter in the world, it also made fans wonder if he’d ever step back into the Octagon again. That question has been answered, and now he’ll take on one of his most-skilled opponents ever in Nurmagomedov. McGregor comes in with only three losses on his record, but Nurmagomedov is undefeated at 26-0-0, and he’ll be trying to keep that sheet clean in this fight. Over the last couple years, this is the fight UFC fans have been asking for. Now, they’ll get it.
The Fight Card
For as much as the Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov fight is the one everyone wants to see, there’s plenty more on the schedule for UFC 229 than just that fight. The main card has four other fights on schedule before the McGregor-Nurmagomedov battle, and there are also a slate of preliminary card fights that could be great matchups.
Tony Ferguson celebrates after defeating Abel Trujillo in their fight during the UFC 181 event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on December 6, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)
Here’s the full fight card schedule:
Main Card:
- Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
- Tony Ferguson vs. Anthony Pettis
- Ovince Saint Preux vs. Dominick Reyes
- Derrick Lewis vs. Alexander Volkov
- Michelle Waterson vs. Felice Herrig
Undercard
- Sergio Pettis vs. Jussier Formiga
- Vicente Luque vs. Jalin Turner
- Tonya Evinger vs. Aspen Ladd
- Lina Lansberg vs. Yana Kunitskaya
- Alan Patrick vs. Scott Holtzman
- Gray Maynard vs. Nik Lentz
- Ryan LaFlare vs. Tony Martin
Conor McGregor speaks to the media during the UFC 229 Press Conference at Radio City Music Hall on September 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
Nurmagomedov has an extra inch of height over McGregor, but the Irish fighter has a slightly longer reach at 74 inches to 70 inches. Nurmagomedov comes in having won 26 straight fights, which is the longest of any active UFC fighter, according to ESPN. The second longest in the lightweight division? Tony Ferguson, who will be fighting against Anthony Pettis in the second high-profile matchup of UFC 229. McGregor gets a lot of his business done by knockouts, coming in having won by knockouts in 18 of his 21 wins in his career.
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