LAS VEGAS — Conor McGregor made a dramatic return to the UFC on Friday, coming in a half-pound under the 155-pound lightweight limit to a thunderous roar from the small crowd gathered in a ballroom at the Park MGM for the official UFC 229 weigh-ins.

Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was the first fighter to weigh in and came in at 155. Both looked strong and fit.

Nurmagomedov left Thursday’s news conference before McGregor arrived, saying he had to begin his weight cut. He had had an issue with his weight previously and got ill during his cut for a fight last year with Tony Ferguson. He was yanked from that card and there was speculation that he’d be forced to move at lightweight.

But he has had no issues after that. He made weight successfully before wins over Edson Barboza and Al Iaquinta and had no issues on Friday.

The weigh-in sets up a massive showdown that is expected to become the largest-grossing fight in UFC history. Both fighters are expected to earn salaries in the eight figures. Nurmagomedov manager Ali Abdelaziz told Yahoo Sports Nurmagomedov could make $10 million, with his pay-per-view cut included.

McGregor manager Audie Attar said McGregor’s guarantee for showing up will be the largest in UFC history. Though Attar declined to speculate how much McGregor will make, he said it will be second only to McGregor’s payday for his 2017 boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, when he made around $100 million.

The bout is a classic MMA match of Nurmagomedov, arguably the sport’s best grappler, against McGregor, arguably its finest striker. McGregor is ranked No. 2 pound-for-pound by the UFC, though he hasn’t fought since winning the lightweight title from Eddie Alvarez on Nov. 12, 2016, at UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden. Nurmagomedov, who won the title that was stripped from McGregor by beating Iaquinta at UFC 223 in Brooklyn, is ranked eighth.

“The reason that there is such great interest in this fight is because these guys are the two best and they’re in their primes and they are fighting when they should be fighting,” UFC president Dana White told Yahoo Sports. “You didn’t have to wait 10 years to see this and see all that back-and-forth [expletive]. Khabib believes he’s the best. Conor believes he’s the best and so they want to fight each other to prove it. That’s how it should be.”

More UFC 229 coverage from Yahoo Sports:

• McGregor’s trash-talk game is on point
• Kevin Iole: Who will win McGregor-Nurmagomedov fight?
• UFC 229 could set a major record on Saturday
• Dan Wetzel: This time McGregor isn’t faking the hate