Extended Nurmagomedov, McGregor suspensions

LAS VEGAS — Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor will remain suspended at least until December because of a brawl inside and outside the octagon after their UFC match in Las Vegas, but the Nevada Athletic Commission on Wednesday allowed some prize money to be released to Nurmagomedov.

Neither the Russian from Dagestan nor the Irishman attended a brief hearing in Las Vegas at which Nurmagomedov was called the catalyst for the Oct. 6 “chaos.”

Commission Chairman Anthony Marnell III said the suspensions will last until an investigation is complete.

Marnell said fines and punishment up to a lifetime ban could be considered, and said the fighters will be required to attend a Dec. 10 disciplinary hearing.

“I’m not going to do that hearing over the telephone,” he said.

The hearing included references to commission discipline in the past — including a oneyear suspension and $3 million fine imposed on boxer Mike Tyson for twice biting Evander Holyfield’s ears during a bout in June 1997.

The five-member panel voted unanimously to extend the 10-day suspensions imposed effective Oct. 15 by commission Executive Director Bob Bennett and the release of $1 million of the $2 million withheld from Nurmagomedov immediately after the Oct. 6 brawl at T-Mobile Arena.

Marnell noted that the commission could order the withholding of both the post-fight purse and pay-per-view revenues that he estimated reaped up to $6 million. But he said the commission didn’t want to prevent the fighters’ employees from being paid.

Officials said that incident followed a confrontation days earlier between Nurmagomedov and one of McGregor’s teammates.