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A Look Into the Big Fight: Conor vs. Khabib

The big fight is finally upon us.

After all the speculation, a bus ambush that led to litigation and vicious trash talk, the cage closes tomorrow night and Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov have to fight. Thankfully, this megafight isn't jeopardized by either fighter suffering an injury in camp or missing weight.

If you are one of the many people looking to watch the fight this Saturday, you'll want to know exactly what to key in on. Below we'll dive into a breakdown of the fight so that you know what you are looking at once the main event rolls around, and the implications of the fight as a whole.

The Fight is Khabib's Aggressive Grappling Against Conor's Accurate Striking

Period.

These fighters are not only the polar opposite of each other, but they are also the perfect opponent to beat the other. Conor relies heavily on boxing and MMA striking to win his fights, while Khabib is an aggressive sambo, judo and combat wrestling.

Both are aggressive in their respective disciplines, and one might say lacking in the area of the other fighter's strength. Even in the pre-fight build, both fighters have said that they plan to defeat the other in a way that favors their strength -- Conor claims he's going to knock Khabib out early, and Khabib says he's going to maul Conor and make him quit.

Pay Attention to Conor's Cardio

This has been the most spoken about potential weakness that Conor has going into this fight. While his lack of a ground game has been exposed, he's been able to hold his own enough to overcome it when put into danger. However, both in the Nate Diaz fight and Floyd Mayweather boxing exhibition, critics have said that Conor's cardio has been a serious issue.

By going toe to toe with a pure wrestler, it's clear that cardio will come into play. Khabib is a fighter that enjoys pressing the action and never giving his opponent a moment to rest. He presses them against the cage and looks to break their will by keeping them uncomfortable and out of gas.

If Conor is gassed, he'll also lose some pop on his punches, taking away his greatest asset. Khabib's gameplan to maul Conor can be effective if Conor hasn't put the work into his cardio to make sure he's fit to make it through 5 rounds. Since he's taken 2 years off, his cardio will come into question perhaps more than ever.

Pay Attention to Khabib's Chin

Conversely, all eyes will be on Khabib's chin and ability to hold up to Conor's power.

Conor has a knack for finding clean shots against anyone, and his timing has been impeccable against MMA fighters. It remains to be seen whether Khabib can stand up against this type of striking, though his chin appears to be solid when tested against other fighters.

This fight may answer questions about both Khabib's chin and Conor's power, since Conor's knockouts have generally come against smaller fighters. In the boxing ring, he weighed in 5 pounds heavier than Mayweather and hydrated up to the point of weighing more than 20 pounds more than Mayweather on fight night, but wasn't able to hurt Floyd or out muscle him in the ring.

It remains to be seen whether his power translates against someone as solidly built as Khabib, but if it does, Khabib will most definitely need to be on his p's and q's.

Those who pick Khabib point to the fact that Conor has been taken down many teams and has been submitted, but we've never seen Khabib taken down by a punch. Having these questions answered will be an interesting matter to key in on when fight night arrives.

It's Been 2 Years Since Conor Has Fought MMA

This is yet another factor that comes into play on Saturday.

Conor has been living the life since the Mayweather payout and has been active from the Octagon for 2 years. Meanwhile, Khabib has been decimating fighters in that 2-year absence.

Since much of Conor's power depends on timing, we'll need to see whether or not that timing will still be there. It probably would have been to his advantage to grab a tuneup fight prior to Khabib, but Conor has never been the type to shy away from a challenge -- or a payday.

The Fight Won't Likely Go to a Decision

Many people looking to Saturday night feel that it won't go to a decision.

If Conor is going to prevail, it will likely be to a stoppage early, since a lengthier fight plays to Khabib's strengths. Khabib will also be looking for submissions early, and the bad blood between them could leave room for flaring tempers, mistakes and more of a reason to punish the other.

While a 5-round masterpiece would be lovely, neither of these fighters have anything but a stoppage on their mind.

This Fight Will Dictate a Lot About Both Fighters' Legacies

Conor recently re-upped his contract with the UFC, to the tune of a 6-fight deal. He has a chance to leave his mark on MMA after time off and a foray into boxing. He's already known as the biggest star in the sport, but stringing together some signature wins could help him leave his mark as one of the greatest fighters.

A definitive win against Khabib is something that no one can argue against and shows that his heart is still in the game.

Khabib is young and undefeated, so a fight against the highest-profile fighter on the biggest stage would make him a star in his own right. With Russia so prevalent in the public consciousness, a Russian star showing mastery and greatness could be big for his career and earning potential.

This also further legitimizes his title run, since he would beat the returning champion.

The fight has been filled with bad blood and trash talk, and it all gets settled this Saturday. Above all, it should be a compelling fight.