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As the definition of a casual fight fan, I’ll only really tune into the UFC for the premier, top-of-the-line fight cards, which happens about two or three times a year.
Because as a casual fight fan, we don’t necessarily tune in for the sport itself (though mixed martial arts being assuredly dope certainly helps) as much as we tune in for the stars that inhibit the sport.
And of all the stars that have driven casual fans to the game, Conor McGregor has that ability like no other — and that’s what makes him so valuable.
McGregor has the ability to make a non-MMA fan like myself mark my calendar to make sure I keep track of when Conor’s next fight is. It doesn’t matter what else I may be doing that day, I’m going to make sure I see that fight and any other fight he’s in.
And apparently, us regular folk aren’t the only ones who feel that way when it comes to the UFC, as the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will see an influx of celebrities at UFC 229.
Chris Pratt, Elon Musk, Rory McIlroy, Matt Damon, Anthony Kiedis, Megan Fox, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, Joel Kinnaman, Mark Consuelos and Mike Tyson are all reportedly set to be in attendance at UFC 229 to watch The Notorious Conor McGregor take on Khabib Nurmagomedov.
McGregor last fought in the UFC on November 12, 2016, defeating Eddie Alvarez to claim the UFC lightweight championship. At the time of his big win, McGregor became the first fighter in UFC history to hold two titles in two different weight classes simultaneously; he was also the featherweight champion at the time.
Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, claimed the vacant UFC lightweight title at UFC 223 on April 7, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York. Nurmagomedov scored a unanimous decision victory win over Al Iaquinta in the main event. Khabib was initially scheduled to fight Tony Ferguson for the title, but the bout fell through in the final days leading up to the event and Iaquinta stepped up on short notice.
UFC 229 takes place Saturday, Oct. 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC 229 main card will air on pay-per-view, with preliminary bouts on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
