Many fight fans buying a ticket to see Conor McGregor create a spectacle with Khabib Nurmagomedov less than two days away from the UFC’s mega-event were left disappointed.
Conor McGregor would show up late to the UFC 229 pre-fight press conference, which was scheduled to begin at 6 pm/ET.
Appearing irked by his rival’s no show to the press conference at Park Theater in Las Vegas, Nurmagomedov would make his stay an early one at the event.
After around 15 or so minutes of answering questions, Khabib Nurmagomedov would rise from his seat and walk out of the press conference after answering a question from a media member.
He would leave the press conference to a chorus of boos as he held his title belt high over his head to the crowd.
McGregor, fashionably late, would enter the fray moments later to cheers from a mostly pro-McGregor crowd. When asked if he was in his opponent’s head, McGregor shifted his focus to wanting to inflict punishment on the UFC lightweight champion.
“Where’s he at? He sprinted out of here. It’s clear as day (that I am in his head),” McGregor said. “Again I don’t really care about his mentality or what he’s thinking. I do not give a ****. I am ruthless here … I am coming to put a hole in this man’s skull. Dent my knuckle into his orbital bone and that’s what I am going to do (on Saturday).”
The two fighters met face to face at a press conference closed to the public at the Radio City Music Hall two weeks ago to promote their fight … and Conor McGregor’s new whiskey.
McGregor verbally assaulted his bitter rival Nurmagomedov throughout, with the most memorable line being, “If you got off that bus you would be dead and I would be in a jail cell.”
The UFC announced the fight back in early August at a special UFC 25th Anniversary event during a video package which highlighted the turmoil and rivalry the two fighters had developed with one another.
Dana White has said in numerous interviews that he expects close to 3 million PPV buys for UFC 229.
The event will take place at the T-Mobile Arena starting at 10 pm/ET live on PPV.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is listed by the Las Vegas Superbook as a -155 favorite for Saturday night’s UFC lightweight title fight while Conor McGregor is a +125 underdog.
Who will win at UFC 229? Leave your comments below!