The countdown is on until Sunday’s UFC 229 in Las Vegas and the return in the main event on the card of the former two-weight champion Conor McGregor to the octagon after an extended absence.
He’ll face the defending lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, aiming to take back what was once his after more than two years away from the sport.
The last time he competed in any code was in a money-spinning boxing one-off against Floyd Mayweather back in August of 2014.
The normal fanfare that comes with a McGregor bout has been compounded with the personal feel around this one, as he and the Russian Khabib have had run-ins in the past.
The reigning champion was involved in an altercation with Artem Lobov, a friend and training partner of McGregor earlier this year, which incensed the Irishman so much he threw a metal dolly through the window of the Russian’s team bus at a UFC event in New York and was later arrested.
The sense of scores to be settled and a fight for the ages being in the offing have fuelled pay-per-view buys, which are projected by some to break UFC records, despite the lack of a significant press tour by the fighters.
Where can I watch?
The fight will be live on BT Sport in the UK, free of extra charge to subscribers. The fight is unavailable to subscribers of the UFC Fight Pass service, which is remarkable.
What time does it start?
Proceedings are set to get underway at around 4am BST on this Sunday, the 7th of October. That is dependent on how long the undercard takes to play out, of course, and with a few pre-fight theatrics included, it could be closer to five before a blow is landed.
What are the odds?
The bookies favour the defending champion in this one, with him being odds-on at 4/7, the Irishman is a 6/4 outsider.
