Conor McGregor, 'The Notorious', is set to return to the Octagon on Saturday night for UFC 229, hoping to reclaim the lightweight title against Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The pair will face off on 6 October in Las Vegas, with those fans not lucky enough to get a ticket able to watch the fight live on BT Sport in the UK.

Alongside the legitimate ways of watching McGregor's bout, numerous illegal live streams are likely to be shared across social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

This has prompted cyber security experts to warn about the hacking risks UFC fans are exposing themselves to. Authorities are shutting down streams as fast as they can – but in so doing might be sending them to even more dangerous websites, they warn.

"Illegal streaming websites also tend to prompt adware in the form of pop-up windows that can look like software updates or even anti-virus messages that encourage users to click on them in order to install add-ons or run a virus scan," Joep Gommers, CEO of the security firm EclecticIQ, told The Independent.

"In reality, however, they do the opposite and download malware to the computer instead."

There has been a major crackdown on such sites in recent years, with organisations like FACT working with the rights holders to combat digital piracy and illegal streaming through websites and social media.

"Whether it’s a re-stream on social media, a piracy site, or using a device, box or stick connected to your TV, avoiding the official provider to access the fight is illegal," said Kieron Sharp, CEO of FACT.

Conor McGregor's most controversial moments Show all 13 1 /13 Conor McGregor's most controversial moments Conor McGregor's most controversial moments Conor McGregor's most controversial moments The Irish superstar is no stranger to controversy. Here are twelve occasions in which he generated headlines for all the wrong reasons. Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Conor McGregor's most controversial moments 'F*** the Queen' McGregor came in for criticism from some quarters for wearing a poppy at a UFC event back in 2015. “I know where my allegiance lies and what I do for my country,” was his firebrand response. “You have a pint in your hand and a Celtic jersey on in your local. F*** you and the Queen.” Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Conor McGregor's most controversial moments Nazi row One of the first serious controversies in McGregor’s career. “Kiss them feet, Nazi,” he tweeted German fighter Dennis Siver. His apology also came in for criticism: “Ich bin bin sowwy. Now about them feet…” he wrote. Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Conor McGregor's most controversial moments Insulting Aldo “I own this town, I own Rio de Janeiro,” McGregor told Brazilian fighter Jose Aldo, in a series of heavily criticised comments. “In previous times I would invade his favela on horseback and would kill anyone who wasn’t fit to work, but we’re in a new time, so I’ll whoop his ass instead.” Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Conor McGregor's most controversial moments UFC 200 no show McGregor decided he did not have the time to fulfil his press duties ahead of UFC 200, and his scheduled rematch with Nate Diaz. UFC president Dana White was unimpressed with his no-show at a press conference and decided to pull him from the card. McGregor and Diaz would eventually meet at UFC 202, with the Irishman taking a points decision. Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Conor McGregor's most controversial moments Bottles ahoy McGregor has been in trouble for throwing things before. Ahead of UFC 202 he became involved in a heated altercation with the Diaz brothers, which culminated in him hurling full cans of energy drink across a press conference. He was subsequently fined $25k by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and handed 25-hours community service. Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Conor McGregor's most controversial moments Racism allegations There were a number of controversial moments during the Mayweather vs McGregor world press tour, with the UFC champion accused of racism on more than one ocassion. He attracted criticism for telling Mayweather to “dance for me, boy!” before later reasoning he was not a racist because “I’m black from the bellybutton down.” Getty Images Conor McGregor's most controversial moments Showtime spat Showtime Spots executive Stephen Espinoza was less than impressed when McGregor turned his ire to him during the Mayweather vs McGregor world tour. “While we’re at it, f*ck Showtime too,” McGregor shouted at Espinoza in Toronto. “Look at you, you little f*cking weasel, I can see it in your eyes, you’re a f*cking bitch. Cut my mic off? Cut the champ’s mic off? Hell no. You f*cking weasel.” Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Conor McGregor's most controversial moments Bellator brawl After his team-mate Charlie Ward defeated John Redmond at a Bellator event in Dublin, McGregor vaulted into the cage and began arguing with respected referee Marc Goddard. McGregor pushed Goddard and threatened an official, before eventually apologising. “I’ve always learned from my mistakes, and this will be no different,” he said. Conor McGregor's most controversial moments Homophobia allegations The Irishman was heavily criticised when television cameras overheard him referring to Andre Fili as a “f****” after the American beat his training partner Artem Lobov at UFC Gdansk. “I’m human; I slip up, I say stupid things every damn day,” McGregor later apologised. “All I can (do) is hold my hand up and apologise if anyone was offended.” Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Conor McGregor's most controversial moments Darkest day A warrant for McGregor’s arrest was issued after the Irishman was caught on video smashing the window of a bus full of fighters with a sack trolley. Two fighters were injured in the incident, with McGregor eventually handing himself in to the police. He was eventually sentenced to three days of anger management courses and five days community service. Conor McGregor's most controversial moments UFC ban He was banned from the UFC for six months and fined $50k for brawling with the camp of Khabib after his world title loss. Getty Conor McGregor's most controversial moments Latest shame On Monday, McGregor was arrested in Miami Beach for allegedly destroying and stealing the mobile phone of a man who was attempting to take his photograph. Miami Beach PD

"It is getting harder and harder to watch live sport illegally and so fans should be aware that if they were planning to watch the fight this way they are breaking the law.”

This crackdown may inadvertently lead to even more risk for sports fans seeking free ways to watch big events online. By shutting down relatively established streaming sites, viewers will turn to new sites that they may not trust.

Finding online live streams of pay-per-view UFC fights, like McGregor's, has seen many fans turn to social media. Searching keywords, such as the fighters' names, in the search bars of platforms like Twitter often throw up dozens of results with links leading to websites hosting illegal live streams that let fans watch online for free.

Steve Mulhearn, director of enhanced technologies at the cyber security firm Fortinet, said there will always be a select number of fans who look for ways to watch sport online free of charge.

"Of course, there is a requirement to challenge the piracy of these sites – the problem is it is exponentially increasing the risk to fans," Mr Mulhearn told The Independent.

Conor McGregor greets UFC President Dana White during a press conference for UFC 229 (Getty Images)

"Shutting down one streaming website just moves people elsewhere. The highly popular illegal sites are often popular because of the lack of malware, but these are first to be targeted by authorities. You are almost corralling people in the direction of the bad sites."

The solution, according to Mr Mulhearn, is for individuals to take cyber precautions. If a warning says there could be malicious code on the website, for example, they should not ignore it.