One of the most historic nights in the UFC and perhaps all of combat saw Conor McGregor lock horns with Khabib Nurmagomedov. The culmination of a lot of bad blood, drama, and pure hate between two fighters finally took place at UFC 229 in 2018.
For those somehow unaware, Conor vs Khabib was the biggest fight the UFC has put on in perhaps their entire 31-year run. With the indomitable Khabib as the defending champion, and former returning champ Conor going toe-to-toe after such an electric buildup, it is no surprise that the fight fetched the highest PPV buys in company history and Top 3 UFC gates of all time.
However, it must be said, that the people were left somewhat disappointed on the night, as not only did the fight not pan out as many hoped, but also due to the chaos that ensued afterward. All things considered, the outcome on the night was heavily disputed by many and a rematch was all everyone seemingly wanted.
How did Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov unfold at UFC 229 unfold?
Coming into the fight, there were a lot of questions regarding Conor McGregor and his overall mindset. Having suffered a back-breaking loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2017, his return to the UFC was always heavily debated. At this point, the Irishman had already gone clear and made millions of dollars, to the point he never needed to fight again. However, the prospect of facing Khabib Nurmagomedov seemingly lit a fire under him.
As for the fight itself, it was pretty much how many had expected it to be. “The Eagle” would pressure forward with his wrestling and grapple-heavy approach. For McGregor, the main aim was to keep the fight where it starts, i.e. standing up. Unfortunately, he was unable to do too much of that, with Khabib securing 3 takedowns in the 4 rounds, racking up 12 minutes of control time, whilst unleashing devasting ground and pound.
Here’s the scorecard for Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor before the fight was finished for anyone curious #UFC229 pic.twitter.com/nNPztDjTxG
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) October 7, 2018
With that said, Conor McGregor found brief success in Round 3 wherein he managed to keep the fight on the feet and connect with the Dagestani’s chin. Notably, it meant that he became the first fighter to win a round against Khabib. Eventually, it would not hold for much as his opponent was back to his suffocating best in Round 4, managing to submit him with a rear naked choke.
Prime Conor vs Prime Khabib: who wins and why?
Over the years, there has been a lot of discussion on how Conor McGregor would fare in a rematch, one that he has been calling for ever since. Despite the realization that their fight will never happen, “The Notorious One” still holds a grudge against his biggest rival. Thus, many have wondered as to whether the outcome would have been any different, had the two fought during both their primes.
For the most part, Conor McGregor was arguably in his prime when he absolutely dismantled Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205. Although his UFC 194 win against Jose Aldo may come to mind, many will argue that 2016 McGregor is the best version of the fighter. As for Khabib, he was already in his prime when he fought Conor, before going on to submit Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje in subsequent years.
Whilst fans of the Irishman will argue, it is unlikely that Conor, even in his prime would have been able to contend with or find the answer to Khabib’s wrestling and grappling. As for his striking, it was thereabouts the same but perhaps not enough to truly hurt Khabib. If this matchup was to ever take place, Conor McGregor no doubt would have fared better, however, it’s difficult to see the outcome being any different.