Conor McGregor is anticipating a violent and decisive triumph when he steps into the cage with Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC 229 this Saturday. Although the Irish soothsayer ‘Mystic Mac’ did not pick a specific round as he has in the past, he is confidently predicting the knockout, and from the sounds of it, he’s expecting it to happen early.
“Devastating KO,” a fired up Conor McGregor told the crowd at Wednesday’s open workouts (transcript via MMA Fighting). “[He’s] too easy to hit, too flat-footed, too predictable. I’m gonna knock him clean out.”
“I’m gonna come out the gate fast,” he added. “I don’t give a f*ck about anything — any wrestling, any technique, any anything. I’m coming for that man’s head from the f*cking bell. Trust me on that.”
Conor McGregor, who is currently 21-3 overall, has not competed since August of 2017, when he came up short in a headline-dominating boxing match with undefeated legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. His most recent MMA bout occurred in November of 2016, when he knocked out Eddie Alvarez to capture the UFC lightweight title. Unsurprisingly, many fans and pundits are wondering how this prolonged absence will affect him in the cage on Saturday night.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is no stranger to long layoffs himself, last fought in April, when he captured the UFC lightweight title with a decision defeat of last-minute replacement opponent Al Iaquinta. The title was quietly stripped from the long absent Conor McGregor on the same night. With this title win over Al Iaquinta, Nurmagomedov improved to a flawless 26-0 overall — one of the most impressive records in MMA.
Do you think Conor McGregor can make good on this prediction and knock Khabib Nurmagomedov out early? Will Mystic Mac strike again? Join the conversation in the comments section below.
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 10/4/2018.