Tale of the Tape: UFC 229
The fight everyone has been talking about for what seems like forever is finally coming to fruition tonight; Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. The fight, taking place in Vegas, is being talked up as one of the biggest fights in UFC history. Lets take a quick look at what you'll see tonight.
Waterson vs Herrig
Michelle Waterson
Nickname: The Karate Hottie
From: Aurora, Colorado, USA
Record: 15-6-0
Height: 5' 3"
Weight: 115 lbs
Reach: 62"
Felice Herrig
Nickname: Lil' Bulldog
From: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Record: 14-7-0
Height: 5' 4"
Weight: 115 lbs
Reach: 65"
Staff Picks:
Ameer Hamid: Felice Herrig
Brant Dubeau: Michelle Waterson
Lewis vs Volkov
Derrick Lewis
Nickname: The Black Beast
From: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Record: 20-5-0
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 260 lbs
Reach: 79"
Alexander Volkov
Nickname: Drago
From: Moscow, Russia
Record: 29-6-0
Height: 6' 7"
Weight: 250 lbs
Reach: 80"
Staff Picks:
Ameer: Derrick Lewis
Brant: Alexander Volkov
Saint Preux vs Reyes
Ovince Saint Preux
From: Immokalee, Florida, USA
Record: 22-11-0
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 205 lbs
Reach: 80"
Dominick Reyes
Nickname: The Devastator:
From: Hesperia, California, USA
Record: 9-0-0
Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 205 lbs
Reach: 77"
Staff Picks:
Ameer: Ovince Saint Preux
Brant: Dominick Reyes
Ferguson vs Pettis
Tony Ferguson
Nickname: El Cucuy
From: Oxnard, California, USA
Record: 25-3-0
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 155 lbs
Reach: 76"
Anthony Pettis
Nickname: Showtime
From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Record: 21-7-0
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 155 lbs
Reach: 72"
Staff Picks
Ameer: Anthony Pettis
Brant: Tony Ferguson
Khabib vs McGregor
Khabib Nurmagomedov
Nickname: The Eagle
From: Dagestan, Russia
Record: 26-0-0
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 155 lbs
Reach: 70 inches
Khabib comes in as the current lightweight champion after winning the title at UFC 223 against Al Iaquinta back in April. The champ comes into this fight undefeated in his UFC career but only has four fnishes in his 26 bouts. Khabib is a tactical specialist who has great striking and grappling defence. Khabib will look to outlast Conor with precision and strength.
Conor McGregor
Nickname: The Notorious
From: Dublin, Ireland
Record: 21-3-0
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 155 lbs
Reach: 74"
McGregor comes into the fight as the former two division champion. However, Conor hasn't had a professional fight since his boxing match against Floyd Mayweather on August 26th, 2017. He also hasn't stepped into the octagon since his title bout against Eddie Alvarez on November 12th, 2016.
Although it's been a while, Conor left the game as one of the best pound for pound fighters in the game. The man was an assassin in the ring throwing punches harder than almost all of his opponents compiling 18 KO's in his 21 victories. He will have to rely on his raw punching power in order to bring the fight to an end early.
Final Thoughts
Khabib comes into the fight as the -165 betting favorite being the defending champion. This fight will solely depend on how prepared Conor will be after his nearly two year hiatus from the octagon. If he is able to return to his old form and fight to his full capability then this might be a much shorter fight than people are predicting. If there is enough rust that he isn't going to fight like himself, then I think Khabib will pick him apart.
Staff Picks
Ameer: Khabib Nurmagomedov
Brant: Conor McGregor