Shameful brawl after McGregor humbled
THE biggest fight in UFC history ended in disgraceful fashion as Conor McGregor’s defeat at the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov was followed by a mass brawl involving both fighters.
Some 20,000 fans inside the T-Mobile Arena here watched in disbelief as, after his win by fourth- round submission, Khabib charged towards McGregor’s training partner Dillon Danis before two of Khabib’s entourage hopped into the octagon to land punches on the Irishman. Three men from Khabib’s camp were arrested but later released after McGregor refused to press charges.
The Nevada Athletic Commission reviewed footage of the ugly scenes and withheld Khabib’s £1.5million purse while allowing his opponent to bank the £2m he earned from the lightweight title fight.
Both were forced to exit centre stage flanked by dozens of security guards as UFC president Dana White ditched the interviews, fearing a riot from the thousands of Irish fans who made the 5,000-mile trip.
He said: ‘I know if we put the belt on him in the octagon there’ll be things thrown. It could have been dangerous so we got him out of there. Police officers were getting punched. All hell broke loose. I don’t even know what to say. I’m disgusted and sick over it.’
Khabib showed remorse for triggering the melee but said McGregor and his team had crossed the line with personal insults in the build-up.
‘I want to say sorry, this is not my best side, I am a human being. He spoke about my religion, my country and my father so why are people talking about me jumping over a cage? Conor nearly killed two people on that bus,’ he said, referring to McGregor’s arrest for throwing a metal dolly at Khabib through a bus window in April which injured two fighters.
McGregor — who in the build-up offered devout Sunni Muslim Khabib a dram of whiskey — missed the postfight press conference but later tweeted: ‘Looking forward to the rematch.’