Join us today on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and play-by-play as UFC 229 goes down in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The main event will see UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov taking on the most polarizing fighter in MMA, former two-division champion Conor McGregor. One of the biggest events in UFC history will be co-headlined by another top lightweight scrap between former interim champ Tony Ferguson and former WEC and UFC champion Anthony Pettis.
This post will cover the main event between Khabib and McGregor.
The show kicks off on Fight Pass at approximately 6:30pm ET with three fights. The card then moves to FS1 at 8pm ET for four more bouts, then onto the main PPV card. The full lineup and schedule follows. The preliminary card and other main card fights will be covered in separate posts.
Check out this week’s MMA Vivisection for predictions, analysis and betting odds on the each matchup.
You can also read a full preview of the big fight here.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor
Round 1 – McGregor advances with his hands down. He’s in with a left. He throws a kick. Khabib dives at a leg. He still has a single. McGregor showing off great balance, trying to take Khabib’s back. Khabib has to try three times, but he gets Conor to his butt against the cage. Khabib grapevines the legs and looks to put Conor on his mat. McGregor with a front headlock. Khabib pops his head out. He has McGregor’s legs stuck. He steps up a bit higher. McGregor lands a couple of punches but Khabib gets in tight against the cage. Conor is still in a seated position. Khabib with some rights. The crowd is booing, but this is effective work. McGregor with some slaps to the side of the head. Conor grabs a front head lock again, but only briefly. McGregor is slowly being sucked out, and now he’s flat on his back. Khabib passes to half. One minute left. Lefts from Khabib. McGregor is mostly blocking them. He’s not trying to cut out to side. He’s content in half, landing half-power punches. Two more rights and a left. 10-9 Khabib.
Round 2 – McGregor misses with a kick. Front kick comes up short. He misses with a left and a jump knee. Khabib lands an overhand right that nearly drops McGregor! Holy cow!! McGregor fires back, but he gets taken down. He’s flat on his back next to the cage wall. Khabib is in mount. McGregor squirms and regains half guard. Now full guard. Khabib with some big shots from the top. Conor is trying to hand fight. Two more big rights. Hard elbow. He’s standing, but keeping mad pressure on him. He’s lighting McGregor up with punches! Conor is just covering up! Khabib is just gonig to town on him. McGregor is still there though. Khabib jumps back into side against the cage. He looks for the kimura. McGregor lands an illegal knee but the ref misses it. Conor’s toes are the in the cage, but again Dean missed it. Khabib is just mauling him. He gave up on the kimura. McGregor scoots to a seated position, then gets to his feet with 40 seconds to go. Khabib is still holding onto him. McGregor can’t get his arms free to do anything. 10-8 Khabib.
Round 3 – McGregor comes forward right away. He misses with an uppercut but lands a right. He comes up short on a straight left. Khabib misses with a right. Khabib fakes a takedown. McGregor goes to the body. Teep to the body. Leaping left from Conor. Jab from Khabib. Inside leg kick from Khabib and he misses with a right. He dives in on a double but McGregor stuffed it! Big elbow from Conor. Big right from Khabib! He level changes but Conor stops him again. Khabib is persevering against the cage. A knee from Conor makes Khabib back up. Uppercut from Conor! Head kick! Overhand right from Khabib! Left frm McGregor. Jab from Khabib. Conor with a right, Khabib with a left. Khabib slapped McGregor. Body shot from McGregor. Khabib misses and clinches. knee from McGregor Body shot from Khabib. He clinches, and trips McGregor. He’s back up immediately but Khabib is staying on him. McGregor is trying to break his grip. 30 seconds to go. Khabib separates and lands a right. Conor lands a knee and Khabib goes right back in. 10-9 McGregor.
Round 4 – McGregor with a left. Khabib feints. Front kick from Conor. Another. Khabib just misses with a winging right hook. Jab from Khabib. He shoots, and trips McGregor to the mat. He’s on one knee. He gets up to both, but Khabib has a body lock on him from behind. He is dragging McGregor back and forth. He drags him backward and rolls over right into mount. Wow, that was beautiful. He’s setting up an arm triangle choke. He gives that up. McGregor hip escapes, but Khabib stays on him. He opens up with punches and moves back to mount. Conor gives up his back. Khabib sinks a choke, and Conor McGregor has tapped out.
Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Conor McGregor via submission (rear naked choke), 3:03 of round 4
Khabib continues to jabber at Conor, then jumps the cage and attacks Dillon Danis cageside! They get Khabib away, but one of his team goes after Conor in the cage. This is unbelievable. I don’t even have the words for this.
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