Khabib Nurmagomedov cashed in on his opportunity to smash Conor McGregor with a fourth-round submission victory to close out UFC 229 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. 

Nurmagomedov went right to work and did what he does best: getting opponents to the ground and keeping them there. After a brief striking exchange, he immediately went for the takedown and worked McGregor to where he wanted him. 

That would turn out to be a microcosm for the rest of the fight as Nurmagomedov's grappling game proved to be too much for The Notorious. McGregor made hay in the striking game, but the majority of the fight was spent with Nurmagomedov on top of the former champion with varying degrees of success. 

Eventually, the pressure became too much, as The Eagle took his opponent's back and sunk in a rear-naked choke, drawing a tap from the challenger.

Unfortunately, Nurmagomedov's performance didn't end in the cage. After the bout ended, the champion went into the crowd to attack McGregor's friend, Dillon Danis, and chaos broke out, as another person jumped into the cage to punch The Notorious. 

Outside the ugly post-fight brawl, it was an exciting night of action. Here's a look the results and a closer examination of the main card. 

Main card

• Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Conor McGregor via submission (RNC) (4th, 3:03) 
• Tony Ferguson def. Anthony Pettis via second-round TKO (5:00) 
• Dominick Reyes def. Ovince Saint Preux via unanimous decision 
• Derrick Lewis def. Alexander Volkov via third-round TKO (4:49) 
• Michelle Waterson def. Felice Herrig via unanimous decision 

Undercard

• Jussier Formiga def. Sergio Pettis via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-28 x2)
• Vicente Luque def. Jalin Turner via first-round KO (3:52)
• Aspen Ladd def. Tonya Evinger via first-round TKO (3:26)
• Scott Holtzman def. Alan Patrick via third-round KO (3:42)
• Yana Kunitskaya def. Lina Lansberg via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
• Nik Lentz def. Gray Maynard via second-round TKO (1:19)
• Tony Martin def. Ryan LaFlare via third-round TKO (1:00)

Anthony Pettis vs. Tony Ferguson

One of the most exciting fights of the night (and possibly year) was the two-round slobberknocker between Anthony Pettis and Tony Ferguson. Unfortunately, Pettis' hand couldn't keep up with the action. 

Ferguson earned the second-round victory when a "Showtime" hand injury rendered him unable to continue. 

Before the fight ended, Pettis did a lot to prove that the fighter who once ruled the 155-pound division is still in there. He utilized early leg kicks to wobble Ferguson on his surgically repaired knee and stunned the 34-year-old in the second round:

However, Ferguson's endless cardio and relentless pressure prevailed. Even when he looked finished, he came back, worked to his feet and continued to batter Pettis. 

Ferguson was getting the better of the action when the second frame ended, but this matchup would be worth seeing again. 

Dominick Reyes vs. Ovince Saint Preux

Dominick Reyes knocked out Ovince Saint Preux, but the official record will show that "The Devastator" won via unanimous decision over OSP.

After putting on three rounds of a striking clinic, Reyes floored Saint Preux with a straight left hand and walked away from his fallen opponent. Referee Dan Miragliotta then stepped in between the fighters, and the horn for the third round rang. 

This was a huge win for Reyes, who is a welcomed revelation in the light heavyweight division. The 205-pound class has rarely found intriguing new names, and Reyes appears to be one. 

He didn't just narrowly edge a proven vet. He devastated him. 

If Reyes continues to put on performances like Saturday's, it won't take long for him to be in the title mix. 

Derrick Lewis vs. Alexander Volkov

If you come at Derrick Lewis, you best not miss. 

For the better part of three rounds, Alexander Volkov damaged Lewis. Volkov utilized his reach, combination striking and kicks to nearly finish his opponent on several occasions.

Instead, Lewis hung around, absorbed a lot of damage and kept swinging.

As the third round neared its end, Lewis landed a small jab to Volkov's chest and uncorked a massive right hand that put the Russian on the ground. It was over from there, as Lewis unleashed strikes until the referee ended the fight. 

After the bout, Lewis was in full form, cracking up the audience with one-liners:

With his impressive knockout power, personality and social media presence, Lewis is getting close to a title fight. Questions about his cardio are warranted, but his power will make any potential championship bouts interesting. 

Michelle Waterson vs. Felice Herrig

Michelle Waterson proved you don't always have to be in an advantageous position to do enough damage to win in the judges' eyes. 

The 32-year-old picked up a unanimous-decision win despite spending large chunks of the fight on her back or up against the fence. Felice Herrig attempted to bully Waterson with her smothering pressure game, but Waterson worked to do damage from both positions. 

Waterson had a strong second round. She landed a head kick and used Herrig's aggression against her to score a takedown: 

After receiving the judges' verdict, Waterson announced her desire to contend for the title:

Waterson won her second in a row. She defeated Cortney Casey via split decision in April, so she's making progress toward the belt. However, she'll need a few more impressive showings before she can enter that conversation.