Conor McGregor vs Khabib belts: What titles are on the line at UFC 229?
CONOR MCGREGOR returns to the mixed martial arts world early on Sunday morning.
The charismatic Irishman's first outing inside the Octagon in nearly two years will see him take on the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov, his successor at the summit of the lightweight division.
The biggest bout in UFC history headlines a stacked UFC 229 fight card, which takes place at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena.
McGregor's showdown with Russian's first UFC titleholder will be his first since his historic UFC 205 victory over Eddie Alvarez, which saw him claim the lightweight title and become the promotion's first simultaneous two-weight world champion.
Throughout the build-up to UFC 229, many casual MMA observers have been wondering if the belts McGregor hoisted aloft at Madison Square Garden will be on the line this weekend.
Only one of those titles will be up for grabs when he takes on Nurmagomedov, that belt being the lightweight championship which the Russian currently possesses.
For those unaware, McGregor was stripped of the featherweight title a little over two weeks after he defeated Alvarez, a decision the UFC brass made due to his failure to defend the belt.
And 'The Notorious' was relieved of the 155-pound lightweight crown in April, which paved the way for Nurmagomedov to become the division's new ruler in the main event of UFC 223.
Despite being stripped of both those titles, McGregor still sees himself as 'the champ-champ.'
Them belts are in me gaff
“Them belts are in me gaff,” McGregor told Adam Glyn during a trip to New York earlier this year. “In my home. So, good luck to anyone trying to come to my home an take those belts."
McGregor is confident he'll reclaim the lightweight title in emphatic fashion this weekend, saying: "Devastating KO.
"He's too easy to hit. Too flat-footed and too predictable. I'm gonna knock him clean out.
"I'm gonna come out the gate fast. I don't give a f*** about anything – any wrestling, any technique, any anything. I'm coming for that man's head from the f****** bell. Trust me on that.”
UFC 229 Fight Card
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor (lightweight title fight)
Tony Ferguson vs Anthony Pettis (lightweight bout)
Ovince Saint Preux vs Dominick Reyes (light-heavyweight bout)
Derrick Lewis vs Alexander Volkov (heavyweight bout)
Michelle Waterson vs Felice Herring (women’s strawweight bout)
Prelims
Sergio Pettis vs Jussier Formica (men’s flyweight bout)
Scott Holtzman vs Alan Patrick (lightweight bout)
Ryan LaFlare vs Tony Martin (welterweight bout)
Lina Lansberg vs Yana Kunitskaya (women’s bantamweight bout)
Gray Maynard vs Nik Lentz (lightweight bout)
Aspen Ladd vs Tonya Evinger (women's bantamweight bout)
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor both weighed inside the lightweight limit ahead of their highly-anticipated UFC 229 title showdown in Las Vegas this weekend.
Nurmagomedov came in on the limit at 155lbs while his bitter rival weighed in half a pound less.
Khabib - McGregor in numbers
30 Age 30
The Eagle Nickname The Notorious
26 Fights 24
26 Wins 21
8 KOs 18
8 Submissions 1
0 Losses 3
5ft 10in Height 5ft 9in
70in Reach 74in
40in Leg reach 40in
155lbs Weight 154.5lbs