LAS VEGAS — Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov showed he is ready to face Conor McGregor at UFC 229 by being the first on the scale Friday morning. He weighed in at the 155-pound limit Friday.
An hour later, Ireland’s McGregor weighed in at 154.5 pounds and emphasized his own preparedness for Saturday’s match by roaring out a primal scream accompanied by a look of rage while atop the scale.
Russia’s Nurmagomedov (26-0) left Thursday’s news conference early, before former two-division champion McGregor (21-3) arrived, saying he needed to start his weight-cutting process. In March 2017, Nurmagomedov fell ill during his weight cut and had to withdraw vs. Tony Ferguson.
“I want him to make weight,” McGregor said upon his later arrival.
Friday marked the third consecutive fight that Nurmagomedov has arrived in the first group of the morning weigh-in, and he’s dominated in those clashes, defeating then-top-five-ranked Edson Barboza and most recently claiming the belt stripped from McGregor in April by overwhelming replacement foe Al Iaquinta.
McGregor was previously the 145-pound featherweight champion in 2015 by knocking out Jose Aldo. He fought two bouts against Nate Diaz at 170 pounds in 2016.
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