5 reasons why Conor McGregor will beat Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229
It’s all set to be the biggest fight in UFC history. We’re just weeks away now from UFC 229 in Las Vegas, where UFC Lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov will defend against former champion Conor McGregor – who never lost the belt inside the cage.
Not only is it a huge fight, but it’s also a tricky one to call due to the massive success of both men inside the Octagon. But who will win? Despite Nurmagomedov’s undefeated record, more recent fights and incredible wrestling game, McGregor still has quite a lot of advantages.
Here are 5 reasons why Conor McGregor will defeat Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229.
#1: Conor has a long reach and knows exactly how to use it
One of the biggest reasons for Conor McGregor’s huge success inside the Octagon is his long reach – 74”, almost the same as recent Welterweight title challenger Darren Till – and the fact that he knows exactly how to use it. Of his victims at Featherweight and Lightweight, it’s telling that all of them, barring 2, were shorter men with a shorter reach.
The two exceptions? Max Holloway, who was taller than Conor but still had a 2” reach disadvantage, and Nate Diaz – 3” taller and with a 3” reach advantage – who beat McGregor and came very close to repeating the feat in a rematch.
The way that McGregor uses his long frame is quite brilliant – if a shorter opponent wants to bull their way forward, as Eddie Alvarez and Jose Aldo did, he’s got the reach and the timing to catch them with massively powerful punches.
And if they look for takedowns – as Chad Mendes did – then Conor uses his kicking game – usually flashy wheel kicks or front kicks to the body, designed to keep distance – to keep them at bay.
Nurmagomedov stands at a reported 5’10” – an inch taller than the Irishman – but with a 70” reach, he’s at quite a disadvantage. And with a straight-ahead style, it’s easy to see him either walking forward directly into a bomb he can’t quite counter, or being unable to set up his takedowns properly due to McGregor’s length and kicking game.