By Patrick Pearse
It looks like October and November will be stunning months for fans of the Mixed Martial Arts. UFC will be holding two events: UFC 229 in Las Vegas and the UFC 230 card at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Big shows need main events but as of yet nothing has been confirmed. However, the rumor mill is currently working overtime. UFC 229 seems to be heading towards the return to the Octagon of Conor McGregor and one heck of a grudge fight against current UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The November event could see UFC 230 headlined by the return of UFC Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker who is currently out injured, but keen to return before the end of the year and put his title on the line. Other fights will of course be announced in the coming weeks and months but which of the cards would grab the most attention: UFC 229 or 230?
The Return of McGregor
The prospect of Conor McGregor making a return to the Octagon has to be considered the biggest attraction in the UFC presently. He has not fought for the company since winning the UFC Lightweight title in 2016. He was certainly the poster boy for them and the media were itching to be writing stories about him.
Now after his one-off foray into boxing and some controversial incidents outside the Octagon that could yet see him end up in jail, he’s rumored to be making his return in Las Vegas at UFC 229. He and Nurmagomedov don’t get along for sure and this could be an explosive fight both outside and inside the Octagon.
Other possible fights for UFC 229 include an appearance by rising Bantamweight ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley who has been claiming he’s going to be in a co-main event. There’s also the possibility now that UFC Featherweight champion Max Holloway might make an appearance. He was due to be defending his belt this weekend but has been pulled out of a defense against Brian Ortega due to apparent concussion symptoms. Hopefully he’ll make a recovery and that could be re-scheduled for the Las Vegas show.
Thumbs Up for Whittaker
In comparison, Robert Whittaker isn’t going to have the media over-excited about a major fight at UFC 230. The Middleweight champion suffered a broken thumb on his right-hand-when beating Yoel Romero at UFC 225 last month. He seems to be recovering well and he’s keen to be defending his belt at UFC 230 and former champion Chris Weidmann seems to be their target for a showdown at the famous Madison Square Garden venue. Whittaker is managed by Titus Day who believes the former champion is a “perfect rival” for November.
Weidman also has a thumb injury to recover from and has been out of the Octagon since beating Kevin Gastleum in July of last year. He had complications with the recovery but is expected to be fit in time for UFC 230.
Lee Calls for New Weight Division
Another possibility for UFC 230 is a fight between Kevin Lee and Georges St-Pierre. Lee has been calling for a new 165-pound weight class to be introduced and if that happens, he wants the former two-weight champion in a fight for the new belt. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen in the coming months.
UFC 229 the Clear Winner
So there you have it, some interesting fights being lined up for both UFC 229 and 230. The return of McGregor in an attempt to regain his title is the biggest fight possible right now. Both shows should help complete another successful year for the company. Stay with us for more information about what to expect.