The Notorious Versus The Eagle
This would probably be the biggest sporting event in the history of the fight business.
Titled as UFC 229, predicted to break all the box office records would prove to be a great testimony for both the Champs.
Talking about the profiles of each fighter and going by numbers its Khabib who steals the show with an impeccable record of the longest undefeated streak in MMA, with 26 wins, and is the first Russian and the first Muslim to win a UFC title.
Whereas, Conor, the Notorious champ has a record of 21-3-0(21-wins, 3-loss, and 0-draws).
The 3 losses have a story to tell. The first loss was in 2008 against Artemji Sitenkov, and second one in 2010 against Joseph Duffy and the third loss against Nate Diaz in UFC 196 which was a dramatic one, where Conor lost through Submission (Rare naked choke). The UFC put up the show once again between these two in a fight titled UFC 202, where Conor won like a champion.
When we analyze his three losses, the stats say Conor has lost just once in the last 8 years and he had to finish the unfinished business with Nate where Conor repaid the debt of UFC 196. That’s the sign of a fighter, a champion who knows what it means to rise like a phoenix.
The recent form of Conor is impeccable and his approach towards the game is Flamboyant. He dismantles the opponent with his trash talks and wins the game before the fight, the mental game. That’s Conor’s way.
Whereas Khabib has his own legacy, he looks to stay unbeaten. Once Khabib takes you down it is legalized issue, his ground offence is brutal and impressive like no other fighter at the moment. An unbeaten fighter is someone who projects his hold and dominance over the game, and Khabib is one of a kind.
The present scenario:
After almost two long years away, Conor McGregor makes his return to the Octagon on Saturday night when he bids to reclaim the UFC lightweight title of which he was stripped earlier this year.
In the opposite corner will stand the reigning 155lb champion Khabib Nurmagomedov who makes the first defence of the belt he won by outclassing Al Iaquinta in April.
When asked how his UFC return will go down, McGregor said: “I believe KO (Knockout), a devastating KO. “I hope it's not too early, I believe I will clatter him and he will crumble. I don't think he can take a smack. I believe he has a glass chin, he's been hit but not by a sniper rifle. “I'm going to get in this cage and maul this man, that's it.”
When Khabib was asked what are his thoughts on UFC 229, the response was “Not just win – smash,” Nurmagomedov said during a Monday appearance on Ariel Helwani’s MMA show” “Smash. Smash everything. Submit, beat – heart, mind, everywhere"
The trash talks continue, the cash will flow and the world would be at halt when these two fighters step in the Octagon on October 6, 2018. The intensity of the fight is like no other.
Whom are you rooting for?