UFC stars get suspensions for after-fight brawl
UFC stars Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor are being suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission for a brawl inside and outside the octagon after their lightweight title fight last weekend in Las Vegas.
Letters were sent earlier this week informing both fighters that they will be suspended for at least 10 days effective from October 15, said commission executive Bob Bennett.
A commission investigation is pending and the panel can extend the temporary suspension when it meets on October 24, Bennett said. Nurmagomedov and McGregor could also appeal the suspensions.
Nurmagomedov, who was praised by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting on Thursday in Moscow, responded with an angry Instagram post saying he was being unfairly punished.
The fighter complained that discipline didn’t follow an incident last April in Brooklyn, New York, when McGregor shattered windows of Nurmagomedov’s bus with a hand truck after Nurmagomedov confronted one of McGregor’s teammates days earlier.
“They could have killed someone there, why no one says anything about insulting my homeland, religion, nation, family?” Nurmagomedov posted.
“We have defended our honour and this is the most important thing. We intend to go to the end.”
McGregor’s manager, Audie Attar at Paradigm Sports Management, said he was confident the investigation will clear his client.
Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz at Dominance MMA Management, did not respond.
Fighting erupted outside the octagon last Sunday, after McGregor (21-4) tapped out during a chokehold by Nurmagomedov (27-0) in the fourth round of UFC 229 at T-Mobile Arena.
The Russian champion from Dagestan then stepped away from
McGregor, climbed over the cage and scuffled with a fighter in the Irishman’s corner.
Members of Nurmagomedov’s entourage climbed into the octagon and attacked McGregor, and McGregor also tried to climb out of the cage during the brawl.
Nurmagomedov’s US$2 million for the fight has been withheld by the commission pending the outcome of the investigation, Bennett said. McGregor received his US$3 million purse.