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Lightweight Championship: Khabib Nurmagomedov (C) vs Conor McGregor
Lightweight: Tony Ferguson vs Anthony Pettis
Light Heavyweight: Ovince Saint Preux vs Dominick Reyes
Heavyweight: Derrick Lewis vs Alexander Volkov
Women's Strawweight: Michelle Waterson vs Felice Herrig
UFC 229 is one of the most anticipated MMA events of 2018 with the long awaited return to the Octagon of Irishman, Conor McGregor versus the unbeaten Lightweight Champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Underneath, there are four more exciting bouts to be decided throughout the card . The following slideshow previews all upcoming main card fights set to take place at the big show.
Women's Strawweight: Michelle Waterson vs Felice Herrig
The "Karate Hottie" Michelle Waterson is determined to put herself into title contention against the dangerous, Felice Herrig.
Herrig will be more than a match for Waterson's stand up skills and is better in the clinch, however, Waterson's submission skills are truly dazzling and after putting two straight defeats behind her with victory over Cortney Casey in April, Waterson will be aiming to finish the former Kickboxer.
Herrig lost her last bout versus Karolina Kowalkiewicz on a close split decision but prior to that had enjoyed a career resurgence with a four fight win streak.
This one could well go the distance with two fighters who match up very well.
Heavyweight: Derrick Lewis vs Alexander Volkov
In a fight that unquestionably has Heavyweight title implications, Derrick Lewis and Alexander Volkov will meet in a blockbuster matchup at UFC 229.
Lewis is a heavy, heavy hitter and some big names have gone down at his hands such as Gabriel Gonzaga, Roy Nelson and Travis Browne.
Volkov boasts a 4-0 record in UFC and will be an extremely difficult opponent for Lewis.
If the spectre of Brock Lesnar's UFC return wasn't seemingly holding up the Heavyweight division until his bout with Daniel Cormier can take place, the winner of this one likely would have been the next challenger.
As it is, the winner may have to wait a little longer.
Light Heavyweight: Ovince Saint Preux vs Dominick Reyes
Dominick Reyes is on a tear at the moment in UFC with a 3-0 record that he will be eager to improve, when he steps up in quality to face long time UFC star, Ovince Saint Preux.
OSP has been an ever present in UFC since 2013 and was a winner last time out versus Tyson Pedro. Despite losing 11 of his 34 fights, he will be a formidable opponent for the younger Reyes.
Renowned for his innovative Von Flue choke, OSP will be looking to end the perfect UFC record of his opponent in memorable style. Should Reyes win, however, he will have moved towards the top of the Light Heavyweight division as a genuine contender.
Lightweight: Tony Ferguson vs Anthony Pettis
In a much anticipated match up that could easily be the main event, Lightweight title contender, Tony Ferguson aims to win his 11th consecutive bout against the dangerous, Anthony Pettis.
Former Lightweight Champion, Pettis has had a faltering few years in UFC, having lost as many bouts as he has won.
However, Pettis is still a very accomplished submission artist and this will not be as comfortable a fight for Ferguson as some observers may expect.
A real barn burner is in store in this one.
Lightweight Championship: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor
In the most anticicpated MMA fight of 2018, Conor McGregor makes his first appearance in the Octagon for two years versus the unbeaten Lightweight Champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
If that wasn't enticing enough, for added spice, these fighters despise each other.
These two have been trading insults back and forth for years but the real bad blood stems from the infamous incident earlier this year when McGregor attacked a bus containing Khabib, other UFC stars and staff. A stunt that resulted in McGregor being charged with assault.
This incident was a supposed retaliation for an altercation between Khabib's crew and McGregor's training buddy, Artem Lobov earlier in the year.
The pair have very different styles which makes the fight almost impossible to predict. Khabib is unbeaten in 26 fights and a specialist in breaking opponents down with his superior grappling skills whilst McGregor is a dynamic striker.
Whatever the result, this will likely be a long remembered contest.
