Nurmagomedov: “First of all I want to say sorry to Nevada Athletic Commission and second to Vegas. I know this is not my best side. I’m a human being.But I don’t understand how people can talk about how I jump on the cage. He talked about my religion, he talked about my country, he talked about my father.”
Dana White: “I’ve been doing this for 18 years and I couldn’t be more disappointed.”
Mike Tyson: “Unimaginable never thought it would go down like this,” Tyson tweeted. “Crazier than my fight riot.”
Full story …
That’s all for tonight. Thanks as always for following along with us and be sure to check out Mike Coppinger’s full report here.
Nurmagomedov's purse withheld by commission
“I just spoke with Bob Bennett from the Nevada state athletic commission,” UFC president Dana White says during a backstage media scrum. “He told me that they’ve looked at some stuff already and they have made the decision that they’re not going to withhold Conor McGregor’s check. Conor McGregor has been paid, he’s been given his check. They are withholding Khabib’s.”
He added: “[Bennett] went in, he interviewed Conor, I guess they looked at some tapes ... and they made the decision to give Conor McGregor his check. They are still withholding Khabib’s.”
The post-fight press conference is under way. You can stream it live right here.
Updated
Oh boy. It should be a busy night for law enforcement in Las Vegas.
It's the fucking Royal Rumble in Vegas right now.
— The Man Who Sold The World (@LordBalvin) October 7, 2018
This Dana's fault. honestly. pic.twitter.com/OPLwv1VPr4
Here’s a look at the official scorecard from Saturday’s fight. Khabib led 29-27 on all three judges’ cards at the time of the stoppage (as he did on our unofficial card).
Chaos in the arena. Spectators reportedly getting arrested. Even Mike Tyson is shocked. Here’s Mike Coppinger’s initial report from cageside. More to follow.
Nurmagomedov incites crowd melee immediately after winning
Complete bedlam as a brawl has broken out in the immediate aftermath. Moments after it ended Khabib climbed the fence, jumped out of the octagon into the crowd and began fighting with at least one member of McGregor’s team sitting near the cage. Now a member of Khabib’s team has climbed into the octagon and has punched McGregor. Ugly scenes. Total madness.
צילום מתוך האולם של הקרב. וגם של הסיום של חביב-מקגרגור pic.twitter.com/7DtRWJK79m
— Ram Gilboa (@RamGilboa) October 7, 2018
Updated
Khabib Nurmagomedov defeats Conor McGregor by submission!
Round 4
McGregor clearly trying to set up the big left hand early in the fourth with feints and jabbing front kicks to the body. Khabib gets McGregor to the ground (he’s now four of seven on takedown attempts) and McGregor is warned again by the referee for fence-grabbing. Khabib controlling McGregor midway through the first and landing a few big left hands. He’s now got a back mount of McGregor. Oh no. This could be it. He’s tapped out McGregor!
Updated
Round 3
Better from McGregor early in the third as he lands a jab and a right hand early. Now he lands a left uppercut and stuffs a Khabib takedown attempt. He’s outboxing Khabib, who looks as fatigued as we’ve ever seen him in a fight. McGregor determined to keep the fight a stand-up affair but finally Khabib runs McGregor into the cage and briefly onto the canvas. Khabib lands a few right hands, but McGregor winning this round with boxing and deft defense against persistent takedown attempts. Score it to McGregor and we’re on to the championship rounds.
The Guardian’s unofficial score: Nurmagomedov 9-10 McGregor (Nurmagomedov 29-27 McGregor)
Updated
Round 2
A heat-seeking right hand by Khabib drops McGregor early in the round. McGregor down and Khabib has mounted him with nearly four minutes left. A big elbow by Khabib, who is landing some big right hands while atop McGregor. Sounds like Khabib is talking to McGregor as he goes to work. McGregor getting lit up. He’s in big trouble. Referee Herb Dean is watching very, very closely. McGregor in full survival mode. Two minutes to go the round. McGregor taking downward shots, basically hoping Khabib will gas out. McGregor interlocking his toes in the cage (illegally) in full view of the referee. McGregor makes it to his feet with 45 seconds left to the roars of the crowd, but he’s breathing heavily through his mouth. McGregor has no answer for Khabib’s grappling. He’s smiling as he ambles back to his corner, but the Irishman was lucky to make it out of the round.
The Guardian’s unofficial score: Nurmagomedov 10-8 McGregor (Nurmagomedov 20-17 McGregor)
Updated
Round 1
McGregor pressuring right from the opening bell, landing a right hand to the roars of the crowd. Khabib goes for a takedown, bullying McGregor up against the cage. They stay there for a minute or more, McGregor struggling to make it to his feet. Khabib begins to land his first strikes of the fight with McGregor pinned to the canvas and cage in a corner as the crowd bursts into ‘Ole’ chants. Neither fighter doing much damage, but eventually Khabib gets McGregor onto his back. He’s in complete control with one minute left in the first round. Khabib trying to wear McGregor out. Not a ton of damage traded but fairly easy to score for Nurmagomedov on control.
The Guardian’s unofficial score: Nurmagomedov 10-9 McGregor (Nurmagomedov 10-9 McGregor)
And here comes Khabib. The unbeaten UFC lightweight champion wears a stoic look as he makes his way to the octagon where McGregor waits. Make no mistake: this is a pro-Conor crowd.
The lights have gone down and the octagon is bathed in smoke and green light. The anticipation builds as the flag of Ireland is beamed on the JumboTron. And here he is: Conor McGregor is making the long walk to the cage. “Home sweet home, baby!” he says as he emerges from the tunnel into the sold-out T-Mobile Arena.
The fighters should be walking in the next few minutes. Not much longer now.
Ferguson defeats Pettis by TKO (corner stoppage)!
Tony Ferguson has stopped Anthony Pettis. The fight was stopped between the second and third rounds by Pettis’s trainer, Duke Roufus, who said his fighter has a broken right hand. Pettis, cut badly and looking like an extra from a Dario Argento film, wanted to go on. A bit of an anticlimactic finish but a terrific fight.
Reyes defeats Saint Preux by unanimous decision!
Dominick Reyes scored a career-best win over Ovince Saint Preux in a three-round light heavyweight fight. A bit of a strange ending as Reyes dropped Saint Preux at the bell with the referee urging him to get up, an apparent knockout. But instead it went to the cards where all three judges handed down scores of 30-27. Wonder if that result will be changed.
One more fight to go before the main event: a three-round lightweight fight between Tony Ferguson and Anthony Pettis.
Updated
Mike Coppinger is our man on the ground in Las Vegas. Here are a few of his dispatches from the run-up to tonight’s main event, including McGregor’s gamesmanship at Thursday’s final press conference and his column looking ahead to what’s been billed as the UFC’s fight of the year.
Lewis defeats Volkov by KO (punches)!
An unbelievable finish as Derrick Lewis detonates an overhand right on Alexander Volkov’s jaw, scoring a stoppage with 11 seconds left in the fight. Lewis was losing the entire fight, needed a miracle and he got one.
What a fight Derrick Lewis was dead in that fight then he knocked out Alexander Volkov 👀😳😲😱#UFC229 pic.twitter.com/d8rYWpVJF7
— Nino (@Nino_416) October 7, 2018
He crashes to the ground in a combination of exhaustion and elation, then removes his trunks in the octagon. Which prompted this memorable exchange with post-fight interviewer Joe Rogan:
Rogan: Derrick, why did you take your pants off?
Lewis: My balls was hot.
Rogan: I understand.
Updated
Derrick Lewis are Alexander Volkov have just finished a wildly entertaining opening round of their heavyweight fight. Meanwhile, Mel Gibson is in the building.
Waterson defeats Herrig by unanimous decision!
Michelle Waterson has defeated Felice Herrig by a unanimous decision in the first fight of the pay-per-view card. Scores were 30-26, 29-28 and 30-27. The 32-year-old Waterson, who’s now won two straight outings and four of her last six, calls for a title shot against Rose Namajunas during her post-fight interview: “I want to be the first UFC champion that’s a mom.”
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Preliminary results
Michelle Waterson and Felice Herrig are in the octagon for the first of the five pay-per-view fights. Here’s a look at the results from the preliminary card.
Preliminary card
- Flyweight: Jussier Formiga def Sergio Pettis by UD 3 (30-26, 29-28, 29-28)
- Welterweight: Vicente Luque def Jalin Turner by KO 1 (punches)
- Women’s bantamweight: Aspen Ladd def Tonya Evinger by TKO 1 (punches)
- Lightweight: Scott Holtzman def Alan Patrick by KO 3 (elbows)
Early preliminary card
- Women’s bantamweight: Yana Kunitskaya def Lina Länsberg by UD 3 (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Lightweight: Nik Lentz def Gray Maynard by TKO 2 (head kick and punches)
- Welterweight: Tony Martin def Ryan LaFlare KO 3 (head kick and punches)
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to Las Vegas for tonight’s UFC lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. Tonight’s long-awaited matchup pits the unbeaten current champion at 145lbs (Nurmagomedov) against the former featherweight and lightweight champion (McGregor), who is making his return to mixed martial arts after nearly two years away.
The fighters should walk after 9pm local time, so a little over two hours from right now. Here’s a look at the four undercard fights between now and then.
- Michelle Waterson v Felice Herrig (women’s strawweight)
- Derrick Lewis v Alexander Volkov (heavyweight)
- Ovince Saint Preux v Dominick Reyes (light heavyweight)
- Tony Ferguson v Anthony Pettis (lightweight)
Plenty more to come from the Las Vegas strip.
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime you can read Mike Coppinger’s lookahead to tonight’s main event here.
