PLENTY TO BLAME FOR FIGHT AT THE FIGHTS
Battle after the bout began back in April
David Price wasn’t the only one who took a beating Saturday night.
Conor McGregor, UFC President Dana White and the UFC got bruised, bludgeoned and bloodied by Khabib Nurmagomedov in Las Vegas. The fault for what happened is shared by all.
State-run media would have you believe Nurmagomedov was an unmitigated cretin for leaping out of the octagon to attack one of McGregor’s training partners, and that Nurmagomedov’s teammates attacked an innocent McGregor in the ring at the same time. Well, stick around. First, the fight itself. Nurmagomedov retained his lightweight belt by smothering McGregor inside T-Mobile Arena until the Irishman tapped out with 3:03 left in the fourth round. UFC 229 was great theater. UFC fighter Derrick Lewis took his pants off during a post-fight interview, citing the temperature of his testicles. Another winner gave a shout out to Brett “Special K” Kavanaugh.
After the main event, Nurmagomedov went after Dillon Danis of Team McGregor. Danis spewed vitriol throughout the fight. It was an extension of the pre-fight verbal diarrhea. McGregor takes smack to a level that would make Donald Trump blush. Before the fight, he called Nurmagomedov a “smelly Dagestani rat” and said his manager was a “(expletive) snitch, terrorist rat” while evoking the 9/11 terror attacks in the process.
That is the UFC’s DNA. But someone — see White — forgot to tell Khabib.
As McGregor and Friends learned Saturday, you don’t poke the Dagestani bear.
White voiced shock and outrage over the mess he helped to create. Even he pinned the trigger on Team McGregor.
“One of Conor’s guys was talking smack over the octagon,” White told ESPN. “Conor’s cornerman got this
thing going.”
Nurmagomedov spoke like a victim.
“What about he talked about my religion, he talk about my country, he talk about my father,” Nurmagomedov said about McGregor. “He come to Brooklyn and he broke bus. He almost kill a couple of people. What about this (expletive)? Why people talk about I jump over the cage?
“I want to say sorry to the Athletic Commission. Sorry to Vegas. I know this is not my best side,” Nurmagomedov added.
And about the innocent McGregor being attacked in the octagon?
Multiple videos on social media showed McGregor attempt to follow Nurmagomedov out of the octagon and take a swing at one of Nurmagomedov’s brothers in the process. Two of Nurmagomedov’s Dagestani training buddies then went after McGregor in the ring. McGregor got the first assailant before the second one punched him from behind.
This fight really began in April when McGregor hurled a dolly at a bus carrying members of Nurmagomedov’s entourage and UFC personnel in Brooklyn. White did nothing — except use the incident to hype UFC 229.
McGregor pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge. He opted not to press charges against the three members of Team Khabib arrested Saturday.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission is holding Nurmagomedov’s $2 million purse. It could fine or suspend him, and he may lose his belt. No one is holding back the millions taken at the gate or from the payper-view audience. Nurmagomedov earned his check Saturday — and then some. He deserves every ruble.
UFC heavyweight and light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier summed up the mess best on Twitter. “Hey guys, two wrongs don’t make it right. Conor didn’t deserve that. No one did. But some things aren’t for fight promotion. Religion, family, country. Throwing stuff in Brooklyn. For Khabib it wasn’t fight promotion, it was really personal. Diff culture man ...”
Meanwhile, McGregor was back at it on Twitter Sunday: “Good knock. Looking forward to the rematch.”