It is officially fight week for UFC 229, also known as the biggest fight in UFC/MMA history. In the main event, current lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will be taking on former two-division champion Conor McGregor.
The fight has been brewing for a long time, and in April it got even more attention when McGregor threw a dolly at the bus Nurmagomedov was on during UFC 223 fight week. The incident caused several cancelled fights, while McGregor had to attend court.
Now, the countdown to the fight is on. In just six days, McGregor and Nurmagomedov will fight in Las Vegas.
Fans and fighters alike have mixed results on the fight will go. Some see Nurmagomedov just simply mauling McGregor on the ground and eventually submitting him or getting a TKO win. Others see McGregor winning the fight by knockout.
For Nurmagomdeov, he knows exactly how he will gameplan for the fight, and how it will play out.
“Make this guy tap. Make him tired and make him tap. This is my plan,” Nurmagomedov said to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani on ‘Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show‘
Nurmagomedov and McGregor have both stated this fight is personal for different reasons. McGregor has gone after Nurmagomedov’s father, manager, and threw the dolly at the bus when he easily could have ‘send location’. With all the talk and the actions McGregor has done, Nurmagomedov is ready to humble him and give him a taste of his own medicine.
“I want to make this guy pay. He’s going to pay about everything – what he say, what he did,” Nurmagomedov added, referencing the incident at UFC 223.
While Nurmagomedov wants to make McGregor pay, he is also looking to defend his lightweight belt for the very first time. Even though the Irishman will be his toughest test yet, Nurmagomedov wants more than just to win.
“Not just win. Smash,” he added.
What do you make of Nurmagomedov’s gameplan for McGregor? Sounds off in the comments PENN Nation.
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 10/1/2018