On paper, the UFC just landed a franchise-saver. I doubt Dana White’s product is struggling all that bad these days, but the card he’s put together for UFC 229 is, well, impressive.
Not only does he get the long-awaited return of Notorious himself, Conor McGregor, but the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov also takes center stage.
Oh, and these two dudes are facing each other.
Suffice it to say, the hype is through the roof, and it’s warranted. My only issue is that, much like a lot of UFC fights these days, it won’t meet up to the lofty expectations.
There’s plenty of reasoning to fear that, too. Let’s go over the biggest problems with this bout and how/why it might not be worth our time (or money).
The main thing that has to be on everyone’s mind is that Notorious has been away from the Octagon for too long. He last fought without boxing gloves back in November of 2016.
He then dabbled in professional boxing and did something in a ring with Floyd Mayweather Jr. I, along with many others, still aren’t sure just what, though.
McGregor then got in trouble with the UFC (and the law), ran his mouth, and simply wasted a ton of time. He’s now going back into the cage for the first time in almost two full years, and right away, it’s a massive title bout.
Forget about the fact that McGregor has lost a few times in his past or that when he’s won, the fights have ended quickly, or his competition simply didn’t stand a chance. The problem this time around is that he will be coming in cold, and that could lead to a terrible effort.
I’m a McGregor fan in the sense that I love his talent and personality. But he’s still a human being going up against what seems to be another elite fighter. Being away for that long without some type of prep match seems like a roll of the dice.
That could lead to a bummer of a fight, but if you want to be the glass-half-full kind of person, maybe you’re a Khabib supporter, and this leads to Nurmagomedov wrecking McGregor.
Even if it’s not a landslide win, Khabib would still win and stay undefeated. That’d set up a battle with GSP, whoever else he wants to face, all of the money, and Khabib being anointed as the new face of mixed martial arts.
That, or Khabib runs into the buzzsaw that is Conor McGregor and comes up extremely weak in an embarrassing, exploitative defeat.
Khabib can beat McGregor, and he can do so in a number of ways. However, his clear edge is on the ground.
If McGregor avoids his takedowns and keeps this thing on both fighter’s feet, he could make quick work of Khabib and turn an uber-hyped title bout into one that borders on fraudulent.
McGregor can take kicks and punches. He can out-last guys bigger than him. He can also inflict serious punishment with just one punch.
Khabib has the more rounded skill-set, but he loses if this is a striking match.
The main issue with either of these first two points is that it could lead to this fight being incredibly one-sided.
People want to know one way or another which fighter is better and deserves to be champion, but they also want a good bout. For the two reasons already mentioned, they might not get it.
The last thing that really hurts this fight is the fact that the odds aren’t that tempting.
The top UFC betting sites aren’t really pumping Khabib up as a massive favorite, but they also aren’t reeling you in by making McGregor some terrible underdog.
This is a guy who hasn’t fought in the Octagon for almost two years, and his first trip back down memory lane is against a guy who is 26-0 and about as vicious as it gets.
Khabib has an extremely layered skill-set, and he’s equipped to take out McGregor, who has just three losses to his name, but all three have come via submission.
McGregor also has inferior floor skills, so if his defense and awareness aren’t on point, you’re throwing money away.
Agree with all of that and think Nurmagomedov stays undefeated? You’re not soaking up much value at his -170 price tag at MMA betting sites like SportsBetting.ag, while you’re still betting against Conor freaking McGregor.
It sounds crazy, but beyond going to a bar and watching this match while I force a burger, fries, and beer down my gullet, I want no part of this thing.
The best way to attack this fight has to be by finding some great McGregor vs. Khabib prop bets. Because on paper, there isn’t enough value to convince me to roll with either side.
Khabib is taking on easily the most dangerous fighter he has seen as a pro, while McGregor could be rusty and run into the exact type of fighter that can dispatch him.
Don’t get me wrong. This is an awesome fight, and kudos to the UFC for setting it up. Bigger things can stem from this, and simply getting both of these guys back onto the canvas makes the sport so much more interesting.
But betting on it leads to nowhere in a hurry.
If you need a pick, though, I can’t go away from McGregor. Everyone’s hot run ends eventually in a sport as wild as the UFC, while Nurmagomedov is asking for trouble by taking on the only dude who has ever held two titles at the same time in the sport.
Every favorite meets his demise, and every perfect streak ends. Who better than Notorious to send Khabib packing and offer you a little value along the way?
The post Will McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov Be a Huge Letdown? appeared first on GamblingSites.com.
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