Khabib to keep his title

UFC controversy continues

UNBEATEN Khabib Nurmagomedov will not be stripped of his UFC lightweight title despite his role in a post-match brawl on Saturday, UFC president Dana White said in a website posting.

The 30-year-old Russian kept his crown with a fourthround submission victory over Ireland’s Conor McGregor in Las Vegas, improving to 27-0 in his professional career and 11-0 in UFC bouts.

Nurmagomedov had barely released his hold after McGregor tapped out when he launched himself over the Octagon fence, apparently targeting McGregor’s training partner, Dillon Danis, as security tried to quell the chaos in the crowd.

Nurmagomedov was hustled out surrounded by security officers as a pro-McGregor crowd jeered and threw drinks at him.

While UFC president Dana White did not present Nurmagomedov the title belt, fearing arousing the crowd’s ire, he told TMZ in video posted on the UFC website that the Russian would not be stripped of the title and any punishment for the melee after UFC 229 would likely come from the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) and not UFC.

“He absolutely keeps his title,” White said. “And he’s going to get suspended (by the NAC), so maybe you give him a four-to-six month suspension.”

White said the NAC had not given Nurmagomedov his prizemoney pending an investigation of the situation and could impose a fine for his actions.

“(The NAC) took his whole purse right now and they are talking about keeping his purse. I do not think that that should happen,” White said. “You should not be able to keep his whole purse.”

White said he thought the NAC should take a $250,000 fine.

White told TMZ pay-perview record MMA sales numbers above two million buys for the show made him “a little giddy” but he added that Nurmagomedov made the wrong decision to enter the crowd after a heckler from McGregor’s camp.

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