Follow RT Sport as we bring you all the action from the biggest fight in MMA as UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov takes on Irish superstar Conor McGregor at UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.
07 October 2018
According to reports, UFC President Dana White refused to give Khabib his lightweight championship belt after the bout and the fighter had to be escorted out of the arena.
Chaos after the fight! Not content with submitting McGregor, Khabib taunts his fallen opponent and then turns his attention to someone outside the ring, hops over the octagon despite security's best efforts, and then becomes involved in a brawl in the crowd!
IT'S OVER!!!!!
Entering the championship rounds, the two approached each other cautiously, until Khabib once again took down McGregor, holding him against the ropes as he wished.
Khabib battered and submitted McGregor by rear naked choke to defend his title and extend his unbeaten record to 27-0!!!!!
In the third, McGregor stayed on his feet for the early part, but Khabib, who the challenger had criticized for his striking ability before the fight, rattled off precise shots that took Conor by surprise.
McGregor landed a sound elbow in one of the exchanges, but Khabib kept walking forward as though refusing to give away any ground and stand and trade with his man.
In the middle of the round, the two engaged in a boxing match in the center of the octagon, which even looked as though it didn't suit renowned striker McGregor.
More pressure from Khabib forced McGregor up against the cage, sapping energy from the former double UFC champion as the round ended, Khabib goading his opponent when the klaxon sounded.
Second round looked like it would begin as a standup fight until Khabib managed to knock McGregor stumbling back with a long right hand and followed it up with a vicious flying knee, which McGregor blocked.
The champion nevertheless managed to take McGregor down and pound him on the floor, unleashing a huge number of blows that looked as though they would force the stoppage in the fight, until he relented.
Then Khabib was back on top of Conor, contorting the Irishman's body until somehow the challenger made it to his feet with a tremendous show of strength. It looked as though the Dagestan native was using McGregor, who looked tired as the round ended, as a rag doll.
Still three long rounds to go in this incredible fight.
Extremely cagey opening round from the two men. Khabib perhaps starting the more confident of the two, and managed to take McGregor to the floor.
It has to be said that this is the champion's preferred game plan and he looked comfortable during the groundwork, while McGregor looked at times out of his depth with the master grappler.
A barrage of punches from Kahbib while McGregor is lay on his back accompanies the bell to end the first stanza.
Polar opposite greetings for each fighter in Khabib's home town of Makhachkala in Dagestan, Russia.
And here is the UFC lightweight champion of the world....
HERE WE GO!
Conor McGregor is in the octagon...
We're nearly there, the wait is almost over. Next fight is Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Conor McGregor. Say those words again to yourself. Drink it all in. In the words of the famous Bruce Buffer: "IIIIIIIt's (nearly) tiiiiiiiiime!"
Ferguson addresses Conor McGregor in his post-fight interview, calling the Irishman "you f***ing piece of s***", before declaring his love to the fans, and then promising not to talk any more.
FIGHT IS OVER!
A bloody Anthony Pettis, suffering a severe cut and broken hand, is pulled out by his corner who tell him they cannot let him go out to fight "if you can't fight like I need you to."
The truth is, regardless of injury, their man was taking a beating from a relentless Ferguson, who puts himself in pole position to fight the winner of the main event between Khabib and McGregor.
Second round, Pettis landed a huge shot that sent Ferguson reeling and send blood spurting from his mouth and initiate a struggle on the floor after Ferguson rolled and wriggle away from danger.
It then appeared Pettis was also cut, and the referee called into he doctor to inspect a high hairline cut, before waving both fighters back to action.
Ferguson seemed the more refreshed of the two after the break, and continued to turn up the scorching pressure on Pettis, who was forced against the cage and onto the back foot.
'El Cucuy' then launched a barrage of blows to again push Pettis back, but the latter came out swinging like a true, proud warrior although his face was a bloody mask.
Ferguson targeted the body with the claret from Pettis head making it hard for him to spot blows, and with his opponent hurt, Ferguson moved in and forced a brilliant spinning kick in defense from Pettis, who took a beating before the bell sounded.
Interesting first round in the co-main event. Pettis looked as though he had landed a few hurtful kicks to Ferguson's knees, the latter having just returned from major surgery, which put paid to a slated bout with Khabib in April.
Ferguson's mobility seemed to be affected but he came back to walk Pettis down and finish the round strong, rallying at the end to send a message to Pettis.
Up next is the co-main event and the penultimate fight of the night between two veterans who both lay claim to the lightweight title - former interim champion Tony Ferguson versus former UFC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis over 3 rounds.
And it promises to be cracker.
REPLAY: Another look at that already legendary Derrick Lewis post-fight interview after KO-ing Alexander Volkov...
Dominick Reyes improved his record to 10-0 against veteran Ovince Saint Preux. Reyes ground out a confident and commanding decision victory over Saint Preux, but many thought it should have been a KO win, due to a Reyes left hand flattening Saint Preux right the bell.
With Saint Preux down and possibly out, Reyes began to walk away thinking he had won the fight at the finish, but the referee allowed the bell to sound and let the fighter get to his feet, thus making the fight go to the judges scorecards, who all scored it to Reyes.
Upon recording the victory, Reyes moved into double figures for wins and is now the owner of the longest win streak in the UFC light heavyweight division.
The Notorious is in the building! Conor McGregor has arrived, dressed immaculately, to the T-Mobile Arena, where he will take on undefeated Russian fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 229 in the show's main event.
WOW! A shock KO win from Derrick Lewis, who seemed down and out and tired in the third round, but detonates a right hand right on the chin of Volkov and ends the contest and follows up with knockout blows on the ground.
A real upset in the last minute of the fight on the UFC 229 undercard in Las Vegas. Lewis even bizarrely removes his fight shorts after the victory.
Lewis promises to work on his cardio after the fight. Might be a good idea for a fighter tired from the very first minute of the first round...
How Volkov's first round was received in Dagestan, where crowds have gathered in cinema theaters to watch their hero Khabib vs Conor McGregor...
A good round 1 from Volkov, who scored some good shots and takedowns and did some solid groundwork as well as surviving a Lewis onslaught at the end that saw himself on the canvas.
Up next is the giant Russian Alexander Volkov and Derrick Lewis in a heavyweight clash. There was a fracas at the weigh in with these two when Lewis knocked off Volkov's Russian ushanka hat.
Michelle Waterson decisions a very game Herrig and gives huge thanks to her opponent in her post-fight interview with UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, who in turn says, "we hope to see you again soon".
Don't we all, Joe. Don't we all...
The UFC lightweight champion is in the house!
Khabib Nurmagomedov has arrived at T-Mobile Arena...not long to go now until war...
Interesting bout shaping up between two very accomplished and very experienced fighters, as Waterson helps Herrig to her feet at the end of the second round. Waterson has established a shade of dominance with her takedowns, but Herrig's defense is tight.
Still not sure who is going to win the UFC 229 main event between UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and Irish MMA superstar Conor McGregor???
Neither is the Moscow public, and RT Sport went into the heart of Russia's capital to find out what they thought of the fight...and the result might surprise you...
UFC fighters or catwalk hot shot? Surely the next two fighters on the card are too good-looking to earn a living punching each other in the face...
Michelle Waterson, 15-6, and Felice Herrig, 14-7, face each other in one of the more, ahem, attractive matchups in a women's strawweight match on the Las Vegas card.
The UFC released the official promo for UFC 229, narrated by two-time Oscar winner John Malkovich entitled 'There Can Only Be One King' has been hailed as equally phenomenal and emotional and will be sure to get the blood pumping before the show's main event.
As well as following our live updates, why not check out our live stream packed full of UFC 229 exclusive content as well as footage from Khabib's hometown of Makhachkala, Dagestan.
Sergio Pettis, flyweight brother of co-main event competitor Anthony Pettis, drops a unanimous decision to Brazilian veteran Jussier Formiga in a surprise upset on the night over 3 rounds, and drops to 17-4.
Formiga, who threw a shrug at the crowd as he leaves the octagon, moves to 22-5 and nearly pulled off the move of the fight by jumping on an unimpressed Pettis' back...which you can watch below!
An opportunistic finish from Vincente Luque versus Jalin Turner, when the latter attempted a spinning back elbow, landed, but was caught by a counter Luque right hand.
A downed Turner was then KO'd by strikes, the referee calling the contest off with 'Tarantula' out cold on the canvas, handing the win to 'Silent Assassin' Luque who improved to 14-6-1.
Seems like the media are in agreement with the performance of Aspen Ladd. The California native looked an animal in the octagon tonight against former UFC title challenger Evinger.
WOW! What a performance by rookie Aspen Ladd, who forces the ref to stop her bantamweight contest with Tonya Evinger in the very first round to improve to 6-0 against her experienced 19-5 opponent.
Those vicious, sharp strikes to the head from a back mount position was enough to bring an end to the fight and a victory to 23-year-old Ladd, 3 minutes and 26 seconds into the opener. Ladd, who looked gaunt at the weigh in on Friday and even struggled to pose for the photographers, has pulled off undoubtedly the biggest win of her fledgling MMA career.
Scott 'Hot Sauce' Holtzman KOs Alan Patrick in the third round of their lightweight fight. After a fairly tame and tactical first couple of rounds, American Holtzman scored a crucial knockdown in the 3rd with a pinpoint counter right hand on the button.
Although the felled Brazilian Patrick initially withstood heavy punishment dished out with defense from the canvas, he was eventually knocked out by elbows to the head while he lay prone, forcing the referee to call a halt to proceedings.
06 October 2018
Another fight, another finish...this time though not a hat-trick of head kicks. Russian bantamweight Yana Kunitskaya decisions popular Swede Lana Landsberg (8-4), to move her record to 11-4.
Takedowns proved pivotal for Murmansk native 'Foxy', who shakes off her previous fight - a KO loss against Cris Cyborg.
THE BIGGEST FIGHT IN UFC HISTORY!
If anyone was in doubt about this bout's magnitude, the UFC has itself just confirmed. 'Arguably' the biggest fight in UFC history has become 'officially' the biggest fight in UFC history...
The action is already underway in the prelims at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with two epic headkicks closing the show; Nik Lentz first KO'd Gray Maynard with pinpoint leg strike to the head in round 2 of their contest.
In the very next bout, lightning struck twice in the same place - in the head to be precise, as Tony Martin iced Ryan LaFlare 60 seconds into round 3 with a perfect kick to the temple to improve to 14-4.