Back in 2018, UFC 229 was headlined by a lightweight championship bout between the undefeated current champion Khabib …
and we are underway McGregor in Greeno in Black McGregor lands early pressure right off the bat by Connor he’s trying to force the shot out of khabib with pressure instead of waiting for khabib to come at him khabib got a hold of his ankles he’s got his leg and what he’s got to do is get his left leg over the back ankle of khabib’s right leg he needs to get that left Connor needs a left leg behind the ankle of khabib in order to stuff this and now he’s got it but a good defense by Conor look at this got the ankles TR he stays on the ankle he’s good he’s doing a fantastic job of Defending look at him spinning around khabib looking to complete the take down and he gets it man Conor gets right up to the cage let’s see if he can get back up to his feet this one of the big questions he’s got his feet tied up well look how good khabib has done a job of wrapping those two legs up together this is what he does to everybody he fights he crosses your legs and now if your legs can’t get away then you can’t get up your PIN to the floor and he’s done this better than anybody he elevates and straightens your legs out and now what he’s going to do is try to lift Conor’s knees and legs higher than Connor’s head so that he can’t move Conor just got to stay calm and not use his energy cuz he’s not taking damage here he feels like he’s far better equipped to handle five rounds than he was when he left in 2016 kabib does such a good job of wrapping those legs up extending them and wrapping them up so you can’t get them out from under you never seen anybody be able to straighten the leg out like that the way he hangs and he almost knee bars You by collecting your heel up it’s just different how he holds you there most people can get away when you do that but when khabib grabs your legs he just keeps them yeah he’s doing it again look at him pinch those legs together he does it different they cross every single time he crosses them over each other he’s just so good at squeezing this is what you got to do to Corner early though you’re khabib you have to do this early you can’t try to give him all the rest he needs in the first couple rounds that’s when Conor is the most dangerous couple right hands have landed for khabib his first strikes of the fight McGregor trying to control his breathing ate a big right hand there and what Connor’s doing is he’s trying to dig under Hooks and staying a ball so there’s no hooks so Connor see how he’s got over the top of khabib’s head or his arms he needs to get in between the arms and legs of khabib if he’s going to get up he can’t can’t be on the outside of khabib’s arms here again khabib ties those legs up together it’s just tremendous how he does it and it’s it’s something that you see him do against every single guy he fights they know what he wants to do they can’t stop it he’s got a different type of pressure from here I think he’s just extremely strong as well and now he’s under the back of Connor so that Conor can’t get his hips underneath him it’s a lifetime of gra and you do have a referee in her Dean that is going to give khabib every opportunity to work on the ground especially when he has the legs trapped right now we’re seeing Connor okay because he’s not taking damage so he’s staying very calm so he doesn’t waste his energy but once he gets wore out from this grappling then you’re going to start seeing kabid posture up and start Landing the big punches but he can’t do it too soon cuz otherwise Conor will get away he’s got to play The Squeeze game right now nice pass straight to half guard and now the the pressure is just heavy here you could tell he’s extremely heavy that left shoulder in the chin of Conor really help makes it minimal for Conor to be able to get to a hit he does it tremendous job but he keeps you from being able to breathe pressure on the chest and then the overwhelming Sensation that he can continue to do this as long as he wants and that is exhausting in and of it so I love that he’s just being patient though this is what You’ got to do to Conor early you can’t be silly and try to pretend that you’re going to give him space to stand up you’ve got to smother him and try to take some of the wind out of his saes early so he’s not so powerful take some of that pop away and then get take some chances after that if you’re K and Conor can’t use too much explosive energy to try to get up without technique if he does that he knows he’s going to burn himself out and he knows if he can’t stop kabib khabib’s going to be able to do this in the second the third the fourth and then how how long can he keep him away from him well don’t forget Conor used literally no energy right now because he took no damage he did get stuck on the floor but he has no so this second round he’ll be fresh let’s see what he does with it exactly the start that khabib Nago metov was looking for in round one well every mixed martial arts round begins on the feet let’s see how it goes here early round [Applause] two Conor knows he can land that left whenever he wants so that’s what he’s waiting for he’s waiting for that counter he’s waiting to force khabib to take a bad shot and then make him pay for it that’s what we’re seeing here McGregor fires the knee appear to just miss oh mive right fromo medog and a knee from McGregor nasty right hand wow and that’s the problem with takedowns as they gain the respect of the strike and your striking gets better if you force takedowns because you’re thinking about the shot and now the shot set up from the overhand he goes back and forth and that’s what’s made off the best that right here wow what an entry by Nago medov and now he has McGregor up against the fence four plus minutes with which to work and this is what khabib has done to everybody if if you stuff his wrestling then he’s going to punch you once you start getting punched his wrestling opens back up and that’s why you need a threat of grappling and striking mixed together but realistically the sharpness goes to Carter and the Striking but the grappling is just so so onedimensional and so over like he’s working in arm triangle here he’s got it oh he’s on top of him full out good scramble by Connor getting his guard back butterfly not full guard the khabib’s all over him here and McGregor exploded there to try to escape nothing doing 90 seconds gone by here round two and the moral victory of khabib Landing that big right hand oh big ground imp p and khabib said he wanted to make Conor suffer he also said he wanted to change his face this is one of the scariest things I’ve ever heard a person say about a fight well not unlike Tony Ferguson khabib can go all [Applause] day oh big right hands Landing from Nago metav who came into this fight unquestionably in the best shape of his life Conor’s talking to him I can’t hear what he’s saying but he’s getting tagged that’s khabib talking and he’s he’s not saying nice things oh big elbow from Theo met off did not appear to cut McGregor open the power he generates from this ground and pound is just interesting I don’t understand because you can hear it Landing over and over it’s just ferocious I mean he’s the best ground and pound artist in the sport Oh’s getting lit up Conor’s in serious serious trouble oh massive ground strikes here herde watching closely kabib is trying to smash his face McGregor forced to just cover up how many shots can one man take two minutes to go in the round and he’s trying to wait he’s trying to gas khabib out cuz he’s not he’s taking shots but they’re not the worst shots you could take he’s covered up they just it just doesn’t look good I don’t think he’s trying to gas K be about I think he’s getting smashed I think it’s a mixture of everything I don’t think he has a choice here I don’t think he’s trying to gas him out I think he’s getting smashed I agree but if you have no you have no choice either an illegal knee on the ground by Conor a knee to the head of a Down opponent can’t interlock the toes in the fence McGregor got away with that one still doing it herb should be warning him there he’s going for it that is tight that looks like it’s going to get finished here ladies and gentlemen that’s tight good defense it’s why isn’t he trying to get up because he’s exhausted and he’s getting his face punched in and I don’t think he can I just think khabib is so much better on the ground that he’s surprised I agree and Nago manon’s out putut has it Wayne one bit now remember we’re dealing with the old rules here so kab has to wait until he’s fully up to hit him with knees Crowd Goes Bananas as McGregor gets upright but for how long he’s taking some big deep breaths 30 seconds here in round [Applause] two k keep this pace for five and I don’t believe Conor has a stoppage win in the UFC after the second round that is correct Conor hasn’t had an answer at all for the grappling of khabib in one [Applause] [Music] bit John kavan on not wanting McGregor to chase we’ll see if he can oblige K Kavanaugh said pressure to get your air back you can get a little air if you pressure in the beginning and now khabib’s tired too don’t forget that the Striking he’s full of blood with buar perhaps McGregor sensing that now McGregor looking for that big left hand kabib used tons of energy on that ground and pound Joe tons that was a crazy Pace that last [Applause] ground well we did see him slow down considerably against alquinta in the later rounds and now you’re seeing Connor go at the body that’s same thing he did to Mendes he waited two rounds and started teing at the body and then starts going up high there it is there’s the T to the body he’s just trying to take there out of khabib letting khabib wrestle himself out cuz you got to it can go both ways well you hate to read too much into the body language but this is as fatigued as I’ve seen khabib Nago medov in that octagon I don’t know if he looks fatigued to me it doesn’t look like he’s breathing heavy it looks like he’s trying to find his moments but he’s getting outboxed yeah I don’t think he’s tired I think he’s just a little heavy from the from the grappling last round but he’s not tired per se muscles are full of blood so he’s a little slower and that’s where Connor can use his left there’s the shot and that’s what his coaches that’s what they were talking about you stuff that one oh elbow by Conor that’s what K was talking about said the first couple shots are going to come heavy later they won’t be so heavy big right hand by kabib just over 3 minutes here in this third round level change from khabib he stuffed that as well look at this this is where it’s getting interesting now the real question is how much endurance does Conor have now how much has he worked on his his conditioning and how do you prepare for a guy like nurov nice see the body by Conor those knees to the body will add up and so are the punches in the TS oh uppercut McGregor faints these guys are staring each other in the face right at T no range at all they’re just sitting there punching exchanging McGregor continues to bank that Bodywork seeing khabib standing right in front of Connor like this is crazy I don’t understand why he doesn’t shoot why he doesn’t mix it up oh he clipped him the left hand oh he slapped him he slapped him on that one front kick to the body by Connor he’s pawing with that that punch having a hard time getting that snap back and khabib standing right in front of perhaps the best striker in UFC history McGregor to the body again good left hand to the body there by Conor another good knee abib to the body he doesn’t seem to fear the power coming back from McGregor as yet [Applause] trip byov gets McGregor down briefly back up to his feet though very [Applause] interesting that’s our Focus that’s it that’s our Focus SL Edge in terms of the significant strikes in round three for Connor less than a minute to go in the round and you see how Conor’s collecting the left arm of khabib that stops him from being able to connect his hands and he can’t double off or grab a single leg if you can’t lock your hands together you can’t finish the take down so Conor is leaning against the fence and just controlling one arm so what does kabib do to counter that you got to try to get a single a the best you can CU you can’t get a double as long as Connor’s controlling your wrist he he’s grabbing the glove there you can’t clasp your hands together the only thing you can do is keep the pressure like he’s doing so you’re not getting picked apart but you got see he’s got his glove he’s got his glove underneath it so he’s just holding it so he can’t complete the take [Applause] [Music] down 15 minutes in the books we head to the championship round round [Applause] four watch the counter left hand of Conor it’s what he’s been setting up he’s waiting for the right hand of khabib oh Conor Conor looks very good coming out for this fourth round I think I swear I think this is when he was looking to try to get him wait for khib to get a little tired on the takedowns and look to knock him out later you would think it’d be the other way around though second time for both of these fighters to have seen a fourth round in their careers that a jabbing front kick to the body he used that fantastically against Chad Mendes and he’s using it here again tonight there it is again you’re so worried about his the power in his hands that sometimes you forget about his legs good entry Bago mat out McGregor trying to use the fence to his advantage and he gets tripped right down too [Applause] good he does such a good job of using his legs to wrap up your legs but Connor’s back up to his feet almost and this is where kabib really starts to get ahead from this position once he gets here he doesn’t let go of that grip and he goes back and forth between the double and he wears you out by putting all that pressure on your arms like that makes you carry his weight up against the fence he’s done this time and time again and when you try to stand up without hand control he throws you another warning from Herb Dean for a fence grab there his grappling is just tremend one step ahead just tremendous control on the ground four of seven on the takedowns for Nago medov but it’s what he does with them two minutes have gone by here in round four got an arm triangle almost but Conor got his other weasel his other arm in there it’s in there but it’s still the the fact that he can pin the head against the arm is just it’s a big part of securing that if he can control that now he stepped the arm over but now Connor regained that arm the one thing Connor has done is stayed pretty safe he just getting controlled very badly is the only difference good hip Escape there by Conor needs to keep going if he has the energy but again khabib uses those legs to tie his legs up I mean it’s a big part of his grappling it’s not just grappling with his arms but utilizing his legs for control big left hands from Nago medob Again full mou back mou there’s the choke he’s got it it’s under the neck there it is nope it’s on the chin there’s the T still Undisputed K medov has finished K mcgreger tonight look at him look at him screaming at the corner he’s screaming at Dylan danis Conor McGregor’s Jiu-Jitsu coach ladies and gentlemen referee her Dean has called a stop to this contest at 3 minutes 3 seconds of the fourth round declaring the winner by some Mission due to a rear naked choke and still the Undisputed UFC lightweight champion of the world Habib the eagle [Applause] n