UFC 229: Khabib Vs McGregor Preview & Tips

On Saturday October 6th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov will welcome the Notorious Conor McGregor back to the UFC Octagon, as they slug it out for the undisputed Lightweight Championship of the world.

McGregor, not seen in the UFC Octagon since beating Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in New York City in November of 2016, is the 6/4 underdog at Bet Fair Sportsbook, with the 26-0-0 Khabib a 4/7 favourite with the same firm. The oddsmakers in Las Vegas will almost always favour the defending Champion and with Khabib boasting a flawless record, it’s easy to see why the Russian is the odds-on favourite.  The fight is due to start around 3am / 4am UK time so you can always try a few hands at Novibet.co.uk casino while you wait.  They offer all new players a generous welcome bonus to get you started. 

Back to the fight and there is more to this equation than what the bookies think, however. Conor McGregor is a special athlete and a special fighter, perhaps a once in a lifetime sort of character. There is no getting away from his trouble with the law, his reluctance to defend belts and remain active and indeed his need to overcome a 2 year absence in order to win this fight. But in many ways also, he should be favourite for this.

His striking ability is unique, with footwork and movement that Khabib has never faced before. He’ll know that, and will look to press forward engage in wrestling, get the fight to the floor and cause his usual damage there. But as McGregor displayed against Alvarez, he is not an easy man to get down to the canvas and even when there, the Dublin native is extremely dangerous with his elbows. There is a feeling that Khabib does not like getting hit and could well be open to serious damage in regard to his chin and as mentioned before, there is nobody who hits with the timing and precision of Conor McGregor.

So, how will this fight play out? In terms of having a bet, there is little fun to be had from backing a 6/4 shot, but Conor McGregor to win would certainly be the play in the Outright market. Everyone seems to think this will end early either way, by way of a Conor KO or a Khabib mauling on the ground. But I think the first round could be a cagey encounter, and that McGregor will snipe Khabib on the feet in round one, but perhaps not enough to finish him off. He needs to be patient, and cannot follow Khabib to the ground or be led into playing his wrestling game.

Hurting Khabib early certainly changes the complexion of the bout, as it will slow him down significantly, in which case the fight could go beyond the first couple of rounds that everyone expects it to.

Hills are offering a top price of 11/8 on Over 2.5 Rounds, which also makes some appeal, but perhaps something a little more “Out There”, for what will go down as the biggest UFC event of all time up until now…how about McGregor to win Rounds 3 or 4, and how about he tires out Khabib so much he manages a rare submission win? It’s a long-shot, but he did it before and it could be just the right time to remind everyone that he is indeed a martial artist, and not just a handy pair of hands.

Khabib Vs McGregor Betting Tips:

  • McGregor to win in Round 3 – 1pt at 9/1 bet365* & William Hill
  • McGregor to win in Round 4 – 1pt at 28/1 William Hill
  • McGregor to win by Submission – 1pt at 33/1 with Sky Bet

* Odds correct at the time of writing

Tagged:

About The Author

Leave A Comment?

You must be logged in to post a comment.