UFC 229 Fight Lines

As a very excitable man usually says on fight night, "It's...TIME!" The oddsmakers have released the odds for this weekend's mega fight between the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov and the notorious Conor McGregor. Check out the early UFC 229 fight lines for the entire main card, and don't miss the action this Saturday, October 6th beginning at 10pm ET!

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UFC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP Khabib Nurmagomedov (26-0) -vs- Conor McGregor (21-3)

Eventually, patience pays off. The UFC, its fans and these two fighters will finally get a chance to take each other on in the octagon and there's no understating the facts - this is a clash between two titans. Conor is back after vacating the lightweight title in order to fight Floyd Mayweather last year. In the meantime, Khabib eviscerated everyone in his path. Make mo mistake that this is a brutal battle between two egos.

You just won't assume it is since one side is doing all the talking.

Conor McGregor is back in the UFC and, more importantly, back in our lives. He is spouting wise, putting fools back in their places and enjoying being back in the spotlight. That's where we all want him, regardless of how we feel about him. Over a year removed from his cash raking endeavor against Floyd Mayweather, McGregor wants his belt back. Good luck (literally) wrestling it away from the man that has it.

Khabib received a proverbial gift when he was able to feast on Al Iaquinta to win the vacant lightweight title. Still undefeated at a remarkable 26-0, Khabib is a ruthless takedown artist and submission specialist. His ground game is second to none throughout the UFC, but don't let that fool you in to believing that he is one-dimensional. The Russian Eagle is a tactically sound striker, even if he remains unusually patient and demure.

Comparing McGregor and Khabib is a fruitless case. One is a superior striker, the other is a peerless wrestler. You could spend hours writing and reading about which one is "better". One of the elements that some mainstream fans may overlook when qualifying Khabib is that he's not just incredibly disciplined. He's also very different.

Where the champ excels is in close quarters. He puts you in that phone booth and before you can figure out how to slide the door open and escape, you're tapping out vigorously. Khabib's ability to control fights isn't just revered, its backed by a gas tank that simply doesn't seem to drain. This is the type of opponent that McGregor has not faced, which might be a reason that the early UFC 229 fight lines have Khabib favored at a commanding -190.

That number, which is offset by Conor's +130 offering as the underdog, is even more startling given that McGregor is a wildly popular bet. You could easily make the argument that he's the most popular fighter ever (it's probably not even debatable at this point). He's built a legacy off of using space and speed in a violently precise manner. His preparation and study is unreal. McGregor has walked straight through Eddie Alvarez, Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes while going back-and-forth with Nate Diaz in a pair of welterweight bouts.

Khabib is not like any of those fighters, but McGregor is so mercurially talented that you could say the same thing on the flip side. The odds may inevitably speak louder than any hyperbole. This is a main event you don't want to miss, but you knew that already.

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The remainder of the UFC 229 fight lines for the main card feature some very big draws including Tony Ferguson and fan favorite Derrick Lewis!

Tony Ferguson -460 vs. Anthony Pettis  +260

There are a lot of people who believe that Ferguson is "on deck" in case anything happens to Khabib or McGregor. The Russian missed weight when he was lined up to fight Ferguson a few months ago, and McGregor might just flip out and start attacking busses again. Who knows. This is the largest differential in UFC 229 fight lines, and there are obvious reasons. Pettis isn't on this level and is just 3-5 SU in his last 8 fights over the past three years.

Ovince Saint Preux +165 vs. Dominick Reyes -245

Before we announce that Reyes is the future of the light heavyweight division, we might want to test him against a known commodity at the top tier. Enter the man we all know as OVP. There's a lot of momentum here with Reyes, a strong favorite in UFC 229 fight lines that delivers devastating kicks and equally belligerent strikes. He's ended eight of his nine fights (6 knockouts, 2 submissions) but has never challenged an opponent with the caliber that the experienced OVP represents. This is a bet on the raging new up-and-comer, or the salty veteran coming off of a win. Saint Preux has a legitimate shot at denting the undefeated streak of Reyes.

Derrick Lewis +135 vs. Alexander Volkov -200

After flirting with retirement, The Black Beast won a wonky decision against Francis Ngannou and is now 8-1 SU in his last 9 fights. Lewis is definitely retaining value because of his status as a fan favorite, but Volkov's recent killing spree can't be overlooked. The former M-1 Global Heavyweight Champion has clobbered Roy Nelson, Stefan Struve and Fabricio Werdum in his last three fights, ending the last two by knockout. This could be an absolute show stealer as these two brutes exchange hands. Any heavyweight fight has the potential for a knockout from nowhere, and this bout fits that bill perfectly.

Michelle Waterson+100 vs. Felice Herrig -140

A total toss-up between the 8th and 9th ranked fighters in the strawweight division. Waterson is coming off an uneven split decision victory against Courtney Casey, whom Herrig also won a fight against via split call. Herrig is also coming off a split decision loss to Kowalkiewicz, but her impressive performances give her a slight edge from the oddsmakers. This fight has the chance to go the distance.