August 27, 2018 - Loghun Kumaran
Sometimes, the best part of being a sports fan is the concept of ‘what if’.
What if LeBron James faced Michael Jordan when they were both in their prime? What if Lionel Messi left Barcelona? What if my favourite player wasn't injured at this point..it goes on and on. For the UFC, the biggest what if over the past two years revolved around one simple question: what if he came back?
He, the man with a 0-0 record in boxing who took on one of the sports’ greatest in Floyd Mayweather . He, the man who threw a dolly through a window of a bus, before becoming 2018’s most famous courtroom picture.
He, the man who took mixed-martial arts to an audience beyond any other. He, the UFC's first double champion who demolished two world champions with gleeful ease, packed up, and left  for two years.
He, the biggest star in combat sports today--what if he came back home?
Well, he--the Conor McGregor--did come back. And true to form, he's come back in the biggest, most notorious way possible, by facing the toughest fight of his entire life.
After years of building up a venomous rivalry, McGregor will fight his greatest challenge: Russian lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in Las Vegas on Oct 6(Oct 7 for Malaysian timing). McGregor last left the Octagon with the lightweight belt in 2016--the same one now worn by Khabib.
The two years of McGregor’s absence coincided with Nurmagomedov’s meteoric rise to the top. But the King is coming home to reclaim a throne he believes to be rightfully his.
In those two years, you can bet McGregor heard the whispers that he wasn’t coming back because he was ducking Nurmagomedov. You can be sure that he watched the same man Nurmagomedov claim the title that he never lost.
And you could see that same question waft over the UFC: what if it was true? What if Conor knew that he couldn't beat Khabib? What if Khabib is indestructible? But conversely, what if Conor could do it ?
The what ifs disappeared when UFC president Dana White announced the biggest fight in both men's careers, and for that matter, the biggest fight in UFC history.
By any stretch of imagination, Khabib Nurmagomedov is not someone you'd want to fight after the best stretch of preparation, much less after a two-year long break. But that's the beauty of Conor--once the fight is right, the guy will fucking fight anyone. Â Â
Anyone who follows McGregor's career knows that he doesn't look back. After demolishing Jose Aldo, the greatest featherweight in history in 13 seconds, he went up to lightweight to become the UFC's first ever double champion.
So where do you go from there? He went to an entirely different sport to challenge its most dominant fighter in the recent age.
McGregor transcends fighters and his sport. He is not Nate Diaz, he is not Brock Lesnar, he is not even Georges St-Pierre. He sits in the upper echelons, the levels occupied by Lebron and Cristiano Ronaldo.
So why pick Nurmagomedov--a man who hasn't lost a fight or barely even a round in 26 fights? Because McGregor knows this is the next step in his legacy.
Nurmagomedov is the biggest question that hangs over him. Conor's detractors have always pointed to his ground game as his Achilles heel, and as God is our witness, there is really no one who has a ground game like Khabib. The man used to wrestle bears as a child--what the hell do you think he'll do to humans?
At the moment from a sporting perspective, Khabib is realistically the only opponent who doesn't represent stagnation for Conor, and that's part of the reason why this makes sense.
The other part is the money, and Khabib ticks all those boxes as well.
This fight could easily bring in 2.5 million buys and be the biggest fight in UFC history. Why? Because the beef is not manufactured. It is poisonous, violent, and real-- these two absolutely hate each other.
'Send me location'
The roots of this rivalry mirror many other UFC beefs. It was competition--here were two of the lightweight division's leading lights, whose career trajectories were on a collision course.
The first public salvo was fired by the Russian in 2016, after he crushed Michael Johnson at UFC 203.
Knowing full well that McGregor was attempting to take the lightweight crown on the same card, he called the Irishman out, saying he wanted to fight the man who 'tapped like a chicken' to Nate Diaz.
Then, the duo's paths diverged. McGregor annoyed most of the MMA world by boxing Floyd Mayweather(ugh).
Nurmagomedov, after pulling out of a Tony Ferguson showdown due to weight cutting complications, went on to maul striking specialist Edson Barboza.
But things came to an ugly head when Khabib landed another title fight against Ferguson in Brooklyn. Meeting Conor's team mate Artem Lobov at a hotel, the Russian and his team were filmed intimidating Lobov after he allegedly dissed Khabib.
The response from Conor was immediate as it was furious. Flying in the next day, McGregor and his team surrounded Khabib's bus as it left a press conference. Conor hurled a dolly at the bus, smashing a window and injuring two other fighters.
McGregor ended up in court, and subsequently was let off with a slap on the wrist. Khabib, meanwhile, won the title by beating Ferguson's replacement.
Before that, the Russian issued a chilling challenge to his rival, as reported by Ariel Helwani, who was then still with MMAFighting
“You broke window? Why? Come inside. You know UFC don’t let you come inside. If you real gangster why don’t you come inside?
“This is big history gangster place. Brooklyn. You want to talk to me? Send me location."
There's no point having a rivalry if no one's around to watch it. Â Conor knows that the money will flow in because for once, he isn't the one bringing all the fan support.
Khabib has around 4.9 million followers on Instagram, which isn't bad. And neutrals will flock to this fight because it is the perfect storm--two completely different styles embodied by two enthralling fighters
The actual fight
It can be argued that each man is one of the best proponent of their respective styles--not only in the current UFC, but in history.
Both men's legacies have been defined by their most powerful weapons. They have honed these weapons to the point that it seems unfair.
No one else in the division--or arguably in the entire UFC--has weapons that provide such an advantage. Its like bringing a cannon to a knife fight.
McGregor's striking is one of the most feared in the division, and his mental warfare has dethroned two reigning champions in Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez
Nurmagomedov pairs arguably the best wrestling game in the business with supreme stamina.
It's also fascinating that both men's biggest deficiencies overlap with their opponents' biggest strength.
In the two biggest losses of his career to Nate Diaz (the first one) and Floyd Mayweather(again, ugh), McGregor gassed out and it cost him dearly.
Diaz also exposed his ground game, and there is no one in the UFC that dominates the ground like Khabib.
But conversely, the Russian's striking game has never been his strongest point.
Its simple: McGregor should have the advantage as long as he plays the striking game. He should be able to outclass Khabib on his feet.
But if--or when--Khabib drags him down, McGregor could be face a punishment like never before.
Mixed martial arts is a bloody sport and fans build up an immunity to the brutality over time. Nurmagomedov is one of the few fighters who still make viewers wince when they are in full savage flow.
At his best, Khabib's wrestling reminds you of those nature films when a crocodile brings down an antelope from the river banks. The outcome is so violent, so brutal, yet so horribly predictable.
In the jaws of defeat, the prey knows there is no escape. You, the viewer knows there is no escape. Nurmagomedov knows it too, and he'll want to bring McGregor into the depths of his muddy hell.
And that's why this fight is so intriguing. These men are so far apart on the style spectrum but they share one thing in common--their path to victory will depend on who can use their weapon to the best of their ability.
Whose legacy will survive this war? The answer, along with the conclusion to one of the UFC's greatest rivalries is coming.
There will be no more what ifs.