Renowned coach Firas Zahabi isn’t expecting Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor to be competitive.
Nurmagomedov will put his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight title on the line against McGregor on Oct. 6. The highly anticipated 155-pound title bout will headline UFC 229 inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Many fans are either expecting Khabib to have his way with takedowns, or McGregor to knock out “The Eagle” early.
Firas Zahabi Believes Khabib vs Conor McGregor Will be One-Sided
Zahabi is certainly of the mindset that things will be one-sided for one of the fighters when it’s time to do battle. During a recent live chat, Zahabi explained why (via Bloody Elbow):
“What I’m doubting, what I don’t see very likely is a seesaw battle. Where there’s a lot of stand up, then they hit the ground, then they get back up, and they’re striking and they’re wrestling, and it’s a back-and-forth battle where it’s coming down the last round — that, I don’t see. I don’t see a very competitive fight even though these two fighters are great phenomenal competitors. The only reason I don’t see it that way is not because one fighter is more skilled than the other. No, far from it. The only reason I do see it this way — a one-sided victory — it’s purely because of their styles. McGregor’s style is completely opposite to Khabib’s.”
It’s clear that UFC 229 is built around Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor. If that fight falls out, then a pay-per-view headlined by Derrick Lewis vs. Alexander Volkov just doesn’t seem feasible. Kevin Lee has offered to be a backup in case one of the headliners pulls out. Tony Ferguson has also taken to Twitter to offer his services for UFC 229. One thing is for sure, most fight fans would rather plan B not be needed.
How do you think Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor will play out?
