Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor full fight (and brawl): relive all the drama ahead of UFC 242
- Relive the epic October 2018 clash, as UFC releases its highest-grossing bout for free on YouTube, including footage of shocking post-fight brawl in Nevada
- Nurmagomedov returns to action at UFC 242 this weekend after nine-month suspension for jumping out of the octagon to attack Irishman’s corner
Khabib Nurmagomedov makes his long-awaited return to the octagon on Saturday night in Abu Dhabi, taking on Dustin Poirier. But it’s time for a trip down memory lane (as if we had forgotten).
In the build-up to the huge fight at The Arena on Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates, the UFC has released the lightweight champion’s previous bout – his monumental fourth-round submission win against Conor McGregor – for free on YouTube. The video racked up more than 3 million views in less than 12 hours after being published on Tuesday.
The UFC 229 event on October 6, 2018 is the highest-grossing UFC pay-per-view of all time, with 2.4 million buys. The show at the T-Mobile Arena also set the record for the largest gate in Nevada, bringing in US$17.2 million in revenue from 20,034 fans.
Of course, things descended into farce after the fight had finished, with the Dagestan-born Russian champion vaulting the octagon to go after McGregor’s jiu-jitsu coach Dillon Danis.
That sparked an all-out cage-side brawl, while some of Nurmagomedov’s team even climbed into the octagon to attack McGregor.
“This is what I believe, if I put this belt on you, everybody’s gonna start throwing s*** into the octagon,” UFC president Dana White told Khabib after the two camps had finally been separated.