Khabib Nurmagomedov Defeats Conor McGregor, Post-Fight Brawl Erupts

Posted on: October 8, 2018, 09:00h. 

Last updated on: October 8, 2018, 09:42h.

Conor McGregor was defeated by Khabib Nurmagomedov on Saturday night at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, but the punches weren’t over after the rear-naked choke submission in round four.

Conor McGregor Khabib Nurmagomedov UFC odds
Khabib Nurmagomedov got the best of Conor McGregor at UFC 229. (Image: UFC)

A post-fight brawl ensued when Khabib exited the Octagon and attacked McGregor’s jiu-jitsu coach Dillion Danis. Two other men then proceeded to enter the Octagon and throw punches at a defeated McGregor.

Prior to the chaos, UFC 229 had gone just as bettors planned.

Pre-fight odds had Nurmagomedov the favorite at -175, and McGregor the underdog at +145. Gamblers were rewarded $57.15 for every $100 they wagered on the victor.

Numerous Las Vegas sportsbooks won on the outcome, as they reported the majority of the money was on the underdog McGregor. Nurmagomedov is now a perfect 27-0 in his career. With the loss, McGregor’s UFC record falls to 21-4.

UFC in Spotlight

The fight between the two bitter rivals was dubbed by UFC President Dana White “the biggest in UFC history.” The pay-per-view event didn’t disappoint.

ESPN MMA writer Brett Okamoto summarized the clash, “It was brilliant. It was the epitome of what you hope and wait for in this sport. Two elite competitors who came mentally and skillfully prepared for each other’s best, and delivered a world-class contest.”

The post-fight brawl, however, wasn’t supposed to be in the cards. White called it “a very bad night” for the UFC.

Khabib diving over the cage was ridiculous,” White said. “You just won a great fight, you fought brilliantly … and you dive over the cage and start this huge melee with Conor’s corner.”

But the saying goes that all press is good press, and UFC 229 generated plenty of it. McGregor’s return to MMA from the boxing ring is precisely what the league needed.

Mayweather Rematch

Prior to his defeat over the weekend, Mayweather was already looking ahead and revealed to reporters that he’s “considering a few options.” Among them is a potential rematch with Floyd Mayweather, whether it be in the Octagon or the boxing ring.

“If Mayweather has the bottle to come over and deal with this, like he said he has, let’s see what happens. I would also like to box him again. Everything is being discussed,” McGregor stated.

In March, Mayweather announced he was indeed training for an MMA fight.

Online sportsbook Bovada wasted no time in opening odds on the theoretical UFC fight, with McGregor a strong favorite at -900, or implied winning odds of 90 percent. Mayweather was given little chance at +550 (implied odds 15.4 percent).

The line has since shrunken, as bettors rushed to grab Mayweather at those long odds. Just a $20 bet on +550 would net $110 if Floyd would pull off the major upset.

Bovada’s current line on the MMA fight is Conor at -500, and Mayweather at +350.