UFC 229 Odds: Khabib Nurmagomedov Favorite Over Conor McGregor Heading Into Saturday

Khabib Nurmagomedov will be looking to defend his UFC lightweight championship for the first time when he clashes with Conor McGregor in the main event at UFC 229 on Saturday as a -160 favorite on the Khabib McGregor odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

Nurmagomedov rose to the top of the UFC lightweight division with a unanimous decision victory over Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 as -600 chalk and now takes an unblemished 26-0 professional MMA record into Saturday night’s bout at T-Mobile Arena.

Getting the nod from the judges is nothing new for Khabib, who has earned the win by decision on 10 occasions during his MMA career, including unanimous decisions in five of his past seven trips to the octagon, and is pegged as a +400 bet to claim victory by decision on the UFC 229 props.

However, The Eagle’s demonstrated ability to outlast his opponents likely will be put to the test by McGregor, who returns to the UFC following a 23-month absence listed as a +130 underdog on the UFC 229 odds.

McGregor’s last octagon appearance came in November 2016, when he recorded a decisive second-round TKO win over Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 as a -170 favorite to claim the UFC lightweight crown.

With his historic win, McGregor became the first UFC fighter to simultaneously hold championship belts, adding the lightweight crown to his existing UFC featherweight title. “The Notorious” would subsequently be stripped of both titles due to inactivity during his time away from the octagon.

However, McGregor’s second shot at the title remains well-earned. The 30-year-old Irishman has emerged as one of the most prolific strikers in MMA history while racking up 13 first-round knockout victories and has finished opponents inside two rounds in seven of 10 fights since joining the UFC in April 2013.

Not surprisingly, The Notorious sits as a strong bet to claim an early victory in Saturday night’s main event, sporting +400 odds at UFC betting sites of earning the win in the first round, and a short +165 wager to finish Khabib with a KO, TKO, or disqualification victory.

McGregor also is expected to keep things interesting, both before and after the fight. The odds of the time spent on introductions of the two fighters is listed at -120 to go OVER two minutes, 49 seconds.

As well, The Notorious is pegged as a strong -250 bet to perform his trademark billionaire strut, but is a lengthy +200 wager on the UFC 229 props to wear sunglasses at the post-fight press conference.