The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) fined and suspended Khabib Nurmagomedov for his role in the post-match fight at UFC229. The NSAC gave Khabib Nurmagomedov a nine-month ban and a huge $500, 000 fine.
The NSAC also fined and suspended Conor McGregor with a six-month ban and a soft $50, 000 fine.
At UFC229, soon after he tapped Conor McGregor out, Nurmagomedov climbed the octagon walls and threw himself into the crowd. A fight began between Nurmagomedov and McGregor’s corner. Eventually, McGregor involved himself, too, swinging a fist at Nurmagomedov’s brother.
The brawl caused a lot of problems for the spectators, the UFC and the NSAC. It also drew international attention that kept Nurmagomedov and McGregor in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Following the match, Khabib Nurmagomedov apologized in the post-fight press conference,
“First of all I want to say sorry to the athletic commission. This is my bad side. He talk about my religion, he talk about my country, he talk about father, he come to Brooklyn and he (attacked) bus.”
Almost immediately after the match, the NSAC slapped the two fighters with a ten-day ban. Since then, the two fighters have laid low. In recent weeks, it was rumored that the fighters each had sorted out an agreement with the NSAC. This meant that neither Nurmamogmedov nor McGregor was present at the hearing when the NSAC announced the result.
Khabib Nurmogomedov reacted to the news of his suspension by tweeting,
“Politics forever”
McGregor seemed pleased with the result. On Wednesday, McGregor publicly thanked the NSAC via Twitter,
“I am thankful for the Nevada athletic commissions fair assessment and handling of the brawl incident. It was not my intention to land the final blow of the night on my opponent’s blood relative. It’s just how it played out. I look forward to competing again soon. Thank you all.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov and McGregor were not the only ones fined. The NSAC also issued one-year bans and $25, 000 fines to Zubaira Tukhugov and Abubakar Nurmagomedov at the hearing. The two are teammates of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The NSAC will want to make an example out of Nurmagomedov. However, there’s still a chance that Nurmagomedov’s ban is reduced to six months if challenged. Having said that, it seems likely that the amount of the fine will hold.
The announcement of the suspensions and fines finally closes the chapter of the UFC 229 brawl.
