Both Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov are confident everywhere but we all know what each man wants to do on Saturday night.
McGregor would be delighted if the defending UFC lightweight champion decided to stand with him for 25 minutes and Nurmagomedov’s night would be made a lot more straightforward if he secured an early takedown against the Irishman.
‘The Notorious’ wants to keep Nurmagomedov on the outside so that he can punish the undefeated Russian with straight punches from range and test the chin of his opponent while ‘The Eagle’ is eager to put his Sambo skills on show and punish McGregor with ground and pound until he quits.
It’s a fascinating match-up of styles and one on which the UFC as an organisation was built. Two fighters from different disciplines figuring out the best on the night in the ultimate proving ground of martial arts.
Obviously, the level of talent in the UFC has since come on leaps and bounds and no elite fighter focuses exclusively on one discipline nowadays but the main event of UFC 229 has all the feel of a classic striker vs. grappler contest.
Nurmagomedov has been able to take down all but one opponent in the Octagon and he’s made no secret of his desire to grab hold of McGregor and toss him to the mat in the middle of Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena this weekend.
And while McGregor has faced and beaten wrestlers before, it seems like he has something special planned for his Dagestani rival.
At the open workouts on Wednesday, McGregor repeatedly drilled a knee designed to act as a counter to any telegraphed double leg takedowns from Nurmagomedov.
McGregor landed no fewer than nine knees during his short pad session with striking coach Owen Roddy and while it’s usually up to the pad-holder to dictate the combinations, McGregor was so eager to work on his knees that he specifically asked Roddy to set it up.
It’s a risky technique because if it doesn’t land then you’re effectively giving one leg to a wrestler and putting yourself off balance but it can be a devastating, night-ending shot if it lands flush on the temple.
Edson Barboza attempted it several times against Nurmagomedov but only managed to glance the 155lbs kingpin. McGregor will hope he fares better or at least lets Nurmagomedov know that he needs to mind his Ps and Qs when it comes to shots from the outside.
McGregor also drilled several lead uppercuts and switched stances in the process of throwing the strike which he hopes will catch Nurmagomedov ducking in. If the Russian dives on McGregor’s lead leg, he could be made to miss by the stance-switch and could be made to regret it by one of the Irishman’s famous uppercuts.
“Precision beats power and timing beats speed,” McGregor has famously said.
Let’s see if Nurmagomedov proves him wrong this weekend because there is no lightweight more powerful than the Russian and no 155lber more precise than McGregor.
