It’s the big one – the UFC Lightweight championship fight.
Of course, you and I know it’s better known as Conor McGregor versus Khabib Nurmagomedov.
This fight is worth every bit of the term “grudge match”, with both competitors trading personal blows in the lead-up to the fight.
McGregor travelled on a private jet to New York earlier this year just to shout at Nurmagomedov, ultimately settling for some vandalism before being arrested.
Given community service, UFC chief Dana White could hardly have made the fight quick enough. Two hugely marketable fighters doing battle on the biggest stage, with hardware, pride, and status on the line.
Here are five reasons Khabib Nurmagomedov could emerge victorious:
1) Nobody has ever beaten him
Khabib Nurmagomedov has never lost an MMA fight. 26 fights, 26 wins. McGregor’s record sits at 21-3, although admittedly two of those defeats came in the Irishman’s first six fights. A natural winner, the Dagestani doesn’t know the meaning of the word “lose”.
2) He's the king of the mat
Nurmagomedov is quite happy to spend time on the carpet, engaging in a wrestling match. Handily for him, that’s where McGregor is at his least confident. All three of Conor’s MMA defeats have come via a submission, which will lead to the Russian plotting a way to have the Dubliner pounding the mat once again.
3) He's got the stamina and tactical sense to go five rounds
Six of Nurmagomedov’s last eight victories have come via decision. It’s no coincidence he finds himself in the hands of the judges either. Each of those six wins was a unanimous decision. The tactical sense to drag a fight out over it’s full 25 minute duration requires great stamina, which is something Khabib has bags of. Conversely, Conor has been five rounds just once in his career.
4) He's fought twice since Conor last did
Fighting on the same night in 2016, Conor has been away from the octagon ever since. Heading off to fight Floyd Mayweather, further inactivity followed. Nurmagomedov has recorded points victories over Edson Barboza and Al Iaquinta in that time – valuable experience. If McGregor shows any sign of rustiness, Nurmagomedov will exploit it.
5) He's an incredibly well-rounded athlete
Nurmagomedov has achieved the rank of ‘International Master of Sports’ in Judo, Sambo, and Pankration. All tests of core strength, efficient use of energy, and tactical planning, Nurmagomedov’s CV is about as good as they come and he has a huge chance of winning any fight he gets in.