Tag: UFC 229

UFC free fight: Khabib Nurmagomedov makes Conor McGregor tap out in heated title fight

Relive the UFC 229 main event in which Khabib Nurmagomedov tapped Conor McGregor – in its entirety.

One of the biggest fights in UFC history can now be watched in its entirety for free on YouTube.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] headlined UFC 229 on Oct. 6, 2018. Still to this date, it’s the most-purchased pay-per-view in promotion history, with a reported buy rate of 2.4 million.

The fight was long-built with McGregor and Nurmagomedov engaged in one of the most vicious and ruthless rivalries in promotion history.

The fight was initially competitive, but Nurmagomedov broke away with the momentum after he rocked McGregor with a big overhand right. From there, grappling became the name of the game.

Nurmagomedov took down and controlled McGregor for much of the fight. As he landed ground-and-pound punches, Nurmagomedov barked at McGregor.

At 3:03 of Round 4, Nurmagomedov finished the fight. McGregor tapped due to a neck crank submission before Nurmagomedov jumped out of the cage and incited a brawl between the two teams.

Watch the entire UFC 229 main event between McGregor and Nurmagomedov in the video above.

Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Conor McGregor at UFC 229: Best photos

Relive one of the biggest grudge matches in UFC history when Khabib Nurmagomedov stopped rival Conor McGregor at UFC 229.

Check out these photos highlighting [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s submission win over Conor McGregor to retain the lightweight title at UFC 229 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Photos by Stephen R. Sylvestrie, USA TODAY Sports)

Triple Take: Memories of Khabib vs. McGregor and the ugly aftermath

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor at UFC 229 will forever be a key part of MMA history.

(Editor’s note: This post originally published on Oct. 6, 2020.)

It’s the anniversary of one of the most significant and memorable events in UFC history. [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] successfully defended his lightweight title against nemesis [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] in the UFC 229 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Oct. 6, 2018.

The grudge match had a dark build-up, with Nurmagomedov and McGregor getting deeply personal ahead of fight night, with family and religion involved. It all spilled out in the octagon as “The Eagle” submitted the brash Irishman in the fourth round. A massive pay-per-view audience and sold-out crowd saw Nurmagomedov dominate, but the lasting memory is what happened afterward, when the champion jumped the octagon fence and kickstarted a chaotic post-fight brawl that caught the attention of the sports and entertainment world.

For better or worse, that UFC 229 bout is one that will stand out in the history books. What do we remember most about that night? MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, Mike Bohn and Nolan King take a trip down memory lane in this edition of Triple Take.

Video: Relive Derrick Lewis’ memorable Hail Mary KO of Alexander Volkov at UFC 229

Derrick Lewis gets another shot at the ultimate UFC goal this week, and he’ll do it in front of his home city fans.

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] gets another shot at the ultimate UFC goal this week, and he’ll do it in front of his home city fans.

Lewis (25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) takes on Ciryl Gane (9-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) for the interim heavyweight title in the UFC 265 man event at Toyota Center in Houston. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+. The winner is presumed to advance to a title unification bout against champion Francis Ngannou.

Inn 2018, Lewis fought then-champ Daniel Cormier for the heavyweight title at UFC 230, but lost with a second-round rear-naked choke. He lost to former champ Junior Dos Santos one fight after that for the first skid of his career.

Since then, he’s rolled off four straight wins to get his meeting with Gane for the interim belt.

Lewis has had some exciting finishes over his career in the UFC, but perhaps the most memorable was the win that got him his shot at Cormier. At UFC 229, after getting handled for most of the fight against former Bellator champ Alexander Volkov, Lewis had a Hail Mary knockout finish with just 11 seconds left in the fight.

You can relive that UFC 229 matchup between Lewis and Volkov in the video above. Then don’t miss Lewis’ fight with Gane on Saturday at UFC 265.

[listicle id=657353]

[listicle id=624026]

[vertical-gallery id=487401]

[vertical-gallery id=355098]

UFC 254 free fight: Khabib Nurmagomedov taps out Conor McGregor

Ahead of his main event at UFC 254, relive Khabib Nurmagomedov’s finish of Conor McGregor at UFC 229.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] settled his grudge with [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] in dominant fashion.

In a lead-up that turned ugly, lightweight champion Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) defended his title against former featherweight and lightweight champ McGregor in the UFC 229 main event in what resulted in the highest selling pay-per-view in UFC history.

McGregor showed a good early sign when he stuffed Nurmagomedov’s first takedown attempt, but Nurmagomedov was able to impose his will, eventually landing a takedown and controlling the rest of the round.

In Round 2, Nurmagomedov was able to get McGregor back down to the mat and inflicted damage with ground and pound. But in Round 3, McGregor became the first man to win a round against Nurmagomedov and was able to keep the full five minutes on the feet.

Just when it looked like the momentum was shifting, Nurmagomedov took McGregor down again in Round 4 and put the finishing touches with a neck crank that forced McGregor to tap.

Nurmagomedov returns Oct. 24 when he takes on interim lightweight champ Justin Gaethje (22-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in the UFC 254 main event at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Before he faces Gaethje, relive Nurmagomedov’s finish of McGregor in the video above.

[vertical-gallery id=355186]

Watch it again: Khabib submits Conor McGregor to retain lightweight title at infamous UFC 229

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov put on another dominant performance when he submitted Conor McGregor.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] displayed his supreme dominance once again in arguably the biggest fight in UFC history.

The rivalry between UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) and [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] got personal and it spilled over in their UFC 229 fight in 2018.

It was another vintage Nurmagomedov performance, who was able to hold McGregor down and trap his legs for the entire first round. In Round 2, McGregor pressed forward but he was met by a surprise Nurmagomedov overhand right which dropped him, but “The Notorious” recovered quickly.

However, Nurmagomedov was able to close the gap and land another takedown, dropping heavy ground and pound and riding the rest of Round 2 in top position.

In Round 3, McGregor managed to keep the fight on the feet, landing solid shots, which won him the round – the first time Nurmagomedov loses a round in his entire UFC career.

But unfortunately for McGregor, he wasn’t able to build momentum from that round, as Nurmagomedov was once again able to secure another takedown. He eventually transitioned to back mount and sunk in the neck crank, submitting McGregor in the fourth round.

A brawl ensued after the fight, showing that there’s certainly unfinished business between the two. Nurmagomedov would go on to defend his title one more time at UFC 242, submitting Dustin Poirier in the third round.

[vertical-gallery id=355186]

Khabib Nurmagomedov still doesn’t want to fight in Las Vegas

Khabib Nurmagomedov feels the same way about fighting in Las Vegas as he did in the immediate aftermath of UFC 229.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] likely won’t be competing in Las Vegas anytime soon.

Last time Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) fought in “Sin City,” he submitted Conor McGregor in October 2018 at UFC 229 and proceeded to jump out of the octagon and attack one of McGregor’s cornerman, Bellator fighter Dillon Danis, which incited a brawl.

The Nevada Athletic Commission temporarily withheld half of Nurmagomedov’s disclosed $2 million purse before fining him $500,000 for setting off the chaotic scene. It’s been almost a year-and-a-half since, but Nurmagomedov still has no interest in competing at T-Mobile Arena.

“I don’t think so,” Nurmagomedov said recently at Dominance MMA media day. “I don’t think so, but who knows? But my opinion if they do something, maybe I can come back.”

[jwplayer 4HYeYowy-FLu19iir]

Since UFC 229, Nurmagomedov has fought in the UFC’s return to Abu Dhabi, unifying the lightweight title with a third-round submission over Dustin Poirier at UFC 242.

He remains scheduled to face Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 in Brooklyn on April 18, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and is more than happy to compete in the same place he became undisputed lightweight champion.

“(NAC) take almost $1 million from me, and they give me nine months, and right now I’m good with athletic commission, with everybody because I’m fighting in New York,” Nurmagomedov said. “Let’s fight in New York. New York is not bad place, I think.”

[lawrence-related id=498416,497449,497465]

[vertical-gallery id=355186]

Dillon Danis on Khabib Nurmagomedov in UFC 229 brawl: ‘He didn’t touch me at all’

But Dillon Danis remembers “uppercutting” Khabib during the mayhem.

Bellator prospect [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] says the infamous UFC 229 brawl did not go down the way everyone thinks.

After UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] submitted Danis’ teammate, [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], in the fourth round of the October 2018 title fight, he jumped the cage and incited a brawl.

The person Nurmagomedov went after was Danis, when he leaped into the air to attack him. But Danis said that Nurmagomedov didn’t even touch him, as the two were quickly separated.

Speaking to “The Schmo,” in an interview released Wednesday, Danis gave his version of how it went down.

“No, he didn’t connect,” Danis said. “You know what’s funny, when he jumped over the thing, and he had his feet and his arms up, so like, he didn’t really know what he was going to hit me with. So I was like, am I going to get kicked right now or punched? I kind of just blocked then I hit him with a right hand, and then I remember him coming forward, and I was uppercutting him, and then he was just trying to run away, and I was trying to grab his head.

“It was just a whole mayhem and then everybody was getting punched, and cops were going all over the place, and … he didn’t touch me at all. I remember hitting him with a good amount of shots, and then I just remember him trying to pull away and run away from me, and I was trying to cup his head and uppercut him. But it was mayhem. Everything happened so fast.”

Danis is set to make his third appearance for Bellator on Jan. 25 against Kegan Gennrich at Bellator 238 in a 175-pound catchweight bout. Danis is currently in Las Vegas to help McGregor prepare for next week’s UFC 246 headlining bout vs. Donald Cerrone, which takes place Jan. 18 at T-Mobile Arena.

[lawrence-related id=355198,478390]

[jwplayer Hj5uO4n0-RbnemIYZ]

Conor McGregor: Khabib Nurmagomedov scared to rematch, thinks he was winning at UFC 229

Conor McGregor: “I just smell (expletive). That’s all it is. He’s afraid, and that’s it.”

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] may have lost the first battle against [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag], but the former UFC champion thinks the war is far from over.

In his first interview since his UFC 246 comeback was made official, McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) told TheMacLife.com he thinks Nurmagomedov is scared of a potential rematch.

“(Nurmagomedov) is trembling,” McGregor said. “That man is trembling. He doesn’t want it. He doesn’t want it. You get it. He’s trying not to lose it again … I just smell (expletive). That’s all it is. He’s afraid, and that’s it. Everyone wants it. The boss wants it – Dana (White) wants it. We all want it. He can run, but he cannot hide. I look forward to it.”

The two fighters squared off in October 2018 at UFC 229, where Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) submitted McGregor in the fourth round. The finish was quickly put on the back burner when Nurmagomedov jumped into the crowd and initiated a post-fight melee with McGregor’s corner.

Up until the finish, McGregor thinks he was winning the majority of the fight. The Irishman pointed to a statistical advantage in the striking department and said Nurmagomedov hadn’t done much with his takedowns prior to the finishing sequence.

“In my mind, I won Round 1,” McGregor said. “I outstruck him 3-1. OK, he had position on that mat – but I outstruck him 3-1. What did he do in the first round? Second round, look at the lackadaisical approach I had to him. He was just running around the outside of the cage. He got that lucky shot and had a great second round. What happened after that? I was winning the third round, (and) even in the opening exchanges in the fourth round. I was winning the fourth round up until that trip.”

[lawrence-related id=477574,477183]

Another factor that led to his defeat, McGregor said, was a poor training camp. McGregor pointed at himself and blamed his disrespect toward those around him for his UFC 229 demise.

“That (loss) was after a horrendous camp where I was so disrespectful to the people that believe in me,” McGregor said. “I was disrespectful to my team with my lack of commitment, and I still went out and done that.

“Then, I also landed a blow on his blood brother and his cousin, so we’re happy with it. It’ll come back to him. Like I said, he can run but he can’t hide … No, no, no: It’s far from (over).”

McGregor returns to action at UFC 246 against Donald Cerrone in a welterweight main event. UFC 246 takes place Jan. 18 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

[vertical-gallery id=355186]

[vertical-gallery id=390041]

Khabib Nurmagomedov: I never enjoy inflicting pain on opponents – except for Conor McGregor

Khabib Nurmagomedov said he doesn’t get a joy out of hurting his opponents, except when he beat Conor McGregor.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] typically mauls people in the cage, but he says he doesn’t necessarily get a joy out of it.

Well, there’s one exception, and the answer is pretty obvious: It’s none other than [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

“In the last couple of years, I’ve gone out there and won, and it doesn’t bring me any real joy to be honest, well, with the exception of one fight, let’s say,” Nurmagomedov told RT Sport. “In that fight, I beat that guy with pleasure, I’ll tell you.”

Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) submitted McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) via fourth-round submission at UFC 229 to retain his UFC lightweight title in a battle that got very ugly in the lead-up. The usually calm and tame Nurmagomedov let his emotions get the best of him after the fight, and he jumped over the cage and attacked McGregor’s corner.

[lawrence-related id=461864,461114,458109]

It wasn’t typical for behavior for Nurmagomedov, who is typically more composed, even while pounding on his opponents while talking to their corner, and even UFC president Dana White. We’ve seen the UFC champ in fights such as his legendary clash with Michael Johnson, where Nurmagomedov was demanding that his opponent tap out and end the one-sided beating.

“I had fights in my career where I understood that I could hurt my opponent more, but I’d talk to him, tell him to give up so that I don’t beat him too hard,” Nurmagomedov said. “For example, if I had a painful hold where I could break something, I wouldn’t tighten it all the way. I’d just fix it so that the opponent would tap out because I have no aim to hurt anyone in this sport. Yes, we compete in a very brutal contact sport, but it’s never my goal to inflict a lot of pain on my opponent.”

“If I understand that I’m winning, I don’t aim to hurt someone bad. Well, except for one fight.”

[vertical-gallery id=355186]