How To Bet McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov Megafight

The biggest fight in UFC history — Connor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov — is under 10 days away! Bad blood between the two has been brewing for years, famously spilling over in a backstage confrontation in April. This time, there won't be a bus between the two. This is a must-bet event and we have you covered. Check out these tips before you make any wager!

UFC 229 Odds

If you need the best UFC or MMA online betting odds, BetOnline has you covered. The following lines are courtesy of them:

Connor McGregor (+138) vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov (-158)

By know, you know McGregor's resume. The only thing bigger than his mouth is his UFC box office history. He's broken every pay-per-view and live gate record the promotion has, dazzling fans far and wide with a 21-3 mark.

Nurmagomedov doesn't have the same mainstream appeal, but he's every bit as good, if not better, than McGregor inside the octagon. He's unbeaten at 26-0 and the reigning lightweight champion — a title McGregor was stripped off, which ignited this feud.

You can research the rivalries roots elsewhere, but we're here to help you decide who to bet on come October 6. In all likelihood, this superfight will end in one of two ways — an early McGregor knockout victory or a Khabib decision. That's just what each fighter's style lends itself to.

McGregor is a knockout artist, evident by his 18 stoppage wins. The Irishman will attempt to stay on his feet as much as possible and make this a striking match.

That approach is the polar opposite of Nurmagomedov's wrestling prowess. His 26 wins are spread more evenly — 10 decisions, eight submissions, and eight knockouts.

If you're betting the over/under on fight length, which is pegged at 2.5 rounds, you're essentially betting the moneyline. If you're of the belief that McGregor will win, wager the under. Bet over if you're convinced Nurmagomedov will retain.

What about if you're undecided? This preview is for you!

For starters, let’s examine the two’s weakness. Understanding this allows us to figure out where each can be exploited in UFC 229.

McGregor is prone to gassing himself out. It's happened in two fights against Nate Diaz and even in his boxing fight/circus show against Floyd Mayweather. His durability is even more of a question mark now considering he hasn’t competed in the octagon in 22 long months! This plays right into Khabib’s tendency to wear out his opponents

As for Khabib, if he can’t keep McGregor on the ground, he’ll be extremely vulnerable. We saw Khabib’s stand-up game on display when he won the championship against Al laquinta six months ago, and he left much to be desired. Laquita, on short notice, successfully traded punches with the undefeated fighter. While Nurmagomedov won the match decisively, his habit of keeping his head high was apparent. You can get away with that against laquinta, but not a power puncher like McGregor. Ask Joe Aldo, who lost his own undefeated streak to one McGregor blow in 13 seconds.

Both have glaring weaknesses, but here’s the difference: Khabib’s glass-jaw can be exploited from the get-go. For McGregor, his stamina doesn’t fade until the third or fourth round.

It helps that McGregor has a four-inch reach advantage over Khabid, despite the Russian being one inch taller. If he can defend the takedown, which historically he’s above average at doing so, he can keep Nurmagomedov standing and in a danger position.

We’re picking McGregor to score the early knockout. It might not be within the first round like he’s predicted, but perhaps the second round. You’ll be hard-pressed to get McGregor at plus-money again, so take advantage of this line.

McGregor has a long history of proving doubters wrong. They said he couldn’t outwrestle Eddie Alvarez. He did. They said he couldn’t hang with an all-time ground specialist like Aldo. He did (or didn’t have to after a quick knockout). They said he can’t move up and outfight a bigger foe like Diaz. He did.

The lesson here is don’t doubt McGregor, no matter the odds.