UFC 229
| Company type | Event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts |
| Founded | October 6, 2018 |
| Headquarters | Paradise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | United States, Russia, United Kingdom |
Key people | Dana White (UFC President) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts fights, pay-per-view broadcasts |
UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor was a mixed martial arts spectacle organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on October 6, 2018. The event took place at the T-Mobile Arena located in Paradise, within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.
This particular event achieved the distinction of being the second most purchased UFC pay-per-view, with an impressive 2.4 million buys.
Background
The main event showcased the undefeated former UFC Lightweight Championship titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov facing off against former featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor. McGregor had secured the lightweight championship at UFC 205 while simultaneously holding the featherweight belt but did not defend the lightweight title, opting instead to take a hiatus in 2017 due to personal matters and a high-profile boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr..
Originally, an interim lightweight title fight between Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson was scheduled for UFC 209, but it was canceled because of Nurmagomedov’s medical complications. Ferguson later captured the interim championship at UFC 216, yet injuries prevented him from unifying the title with Nurmagomedov. Ultimately, Nurmagomedov won the vacant lightweight belt by defeating Al Iaquinta.
The event occurred following a highly publicized incident in which McGregor attacked a bus transporting Nurmagomedov and other fighters, resulting in legal repercussions and widespread debate after video footage was incorporated into UFC promotional material. Despite controversy, UFC President Dana White supported the decision to include this footage.
Additionally, a fight between Jussier Formiga and Sergio Pettis, which had been postponed since January 2017, was rescheduled to take place at this event.
On October 1, fighter Sean O'Malley was pulled from his scheduled bout against José Alberto Quiñónez after failing a drug test administered by USADA; as a result, Quiñónez was also removed and later reassigned to another card.
Results
Bonus awards
The following competitors were awarded $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Tony Ferguson vs. Anthony Pettis
- Performance of the Night: Derrick Lewis and Aspen Ladd
Reported payout
The disclosed fighter payouts reported to the Nevada State Athletic Commission amounted to $6,636,000. These amounts do not account for sponsorship earnings or UFC "fight night" bonuses.
- Khabib Nurmagomedov: $2,000,000 (no win bonus) defeated Conor McGregor: $3,000,000
- Tony Ferguson: $250,000 (including $50,000 win bonus) defeated Anthony Pettis: $100,000
- Dominick Reyes: $100,000 (including $45,000 win bonus) defeated Ovince Saint Preux: $86,000
- Derrick Lewis: $270,000 (including $135,000 win bonus) defeated Alexander Volkov: $75,000
- Michelle Waterson: $100,000 (including $50,000 win bonus) defeated Felice Herrig: $40,000
- Jussier Formiga: $86,000 (including $43,000 win bonus) defeated Sergio Pettis: $46,000
- Vicente Luque: $76,000 (including $38,000 win bonus) defeated Jalin Turner: $10,000
- Aspen Ladd: $24,000 (including $12,000 win bonus) defeated Tonya Evinger: $30,000
- Scott Holtzman: $60,000 (including $30,000 win bonus) defeated Alan Patrick: $30,000
- Yana Kunitskaya: $50,000 (including $25,000 win bonus) defeated Lina Länsberg: $20,000
- Nik Lentz: $100,000 (including $50,000 win bonus) defeated Grey Maynard: $54,000
- Tony Martin: $56,000 (including $28,000 win bonus) defeated Ryan LaFlare: $33,000
Records established
The event held at T-Mobile Arena drew an audience of 20,034 spectators, resulting in the highest live gate revenue recorded in Nevada for an MMA event. This attendance and financial milestone set new benchmarks for mixed martial arts in the state. Additionally, it achieved the status of the largest MMA pay-per-view in the United States, with 2.4 million purchases.
Audience numbers
In Russia, this bout became the most-viewed MMA broadcast ever, attracting over 4 million viewers on Match TV and reaching a peak viewership rating of 67.5% in Moscow. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, BT Sport 1 reported a total audience of 1,282,500, comprising 260,700 live viewers and 1,021,800 who watched the replay.
Post-fight incident involving Nurmagomedov and McGregor
Following the conclusion of the fight, Nurmagomedov threw his mouthguard toward McGregor's corner and immediately confronted McGregor’s cornerman Dillon Danis, sparking an altercation that also involved McGregor and Nurmagomedov’s cousin Abubakar. Subsequently, McGregor was assaulted by two members of Nurmagomedov's team: Zubaira Tukhugov and Esed Emiragaev.
Due to these events, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) withheld Nurmagomedov's fight purse pending further investigation. Notably, Tukhugov was scheduled to face Artem Lobov—McGregor’s teammate—at UFC Fight Night: Volkan vs. Smith.
During his post-fight interview, Nurmagomedov expressed regret over his actions but cited provocations from McGregor’s camp that included insults directed at his family, nationality, religion, and prior confrontations.
The NSAC filed formal charges against both fighters with initial hearings planned for November but later rescheduled. Both athletes received ten-day suspensions starting October 15, with a hearing held on October 24. The NSAC released half of Nurmagomedov’s earnings promptly while extending temporary suspensions until a December hearing.
On January 29, 2019, NSAC handed Nurmagomedov a nine-month suspension and fined him $500,000; this suspension could be shortened by three months if he produced an approved anti-bullying public service announcement (PSA). McGregor was given a six-month suspension along with a $50,000 fine. Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Tukhugov each received one-year suspensions; all penalties were retroactive to the date of the event. Nurmagomedov opted not to submit the PSA.
Dillon Danis was penalized with a seven-month suspension and a $7,500 fine retroactive to the fight date. Later, on May 22, 2019, NSAC reduced these suspensions by 35 days, enabling Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Tukhugov to return to competition as of September 1, 2019.