Why did Khabib Nurmagomedov jump in the crowd after UFC 229?
Things took a dramatic turn at UFC 229 when lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov jumped into the crowd, charging toward the cornermen of his defeated opponent Conor McGregor. The incident is widely considered to be one of the darkest moments in MMA history.
But what made the Russian champion, known for his chivalrous nature, cause mayhem after choking out Conor McGregor in the fourth round? Well, according to UFC commentator Joe Rogan, Dillon Danis [Conor McGregor's Jiu-Jitsu coach] had been hurling insults at Khabib Nurmagomedov throughout the fight which seemed to have provoked the lightweight king.
But contrary to rumors suggesting Khabib Nurmagomedov lost his temper to Dillon Danis' insinuations, the champion never heard what Danis shouted during the fight. Instead, Nurmagomedov specifically targeted the Jiu-Jitsu wizard as he appeared to be the youngest member of Conor McGregor's team.
In an interview with Submission Radio on YouTube, Khabib Nurmagomedov detailed the post-fight incident at UFC 229.
"I jumped on him because other corner is too old; because Conor’s other corner, other coaches, too old, and that’s why I jumped on him," said Nurmagomedov (transcribed by MMA Fighting). "Because he’s almost like my age."
"If I jumped on [coach John] Kavanagh, I don’t think it’s too — cause Kavanagh can’t fight me. That’s why I jumped on [Danis]."
Conor McGregor's antics and verbal jibes leading up to his fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov elicited such a strong response from the Dagestani fighter. Adding to why he vehemently attacked the Irishman's cornermen, Khabib Nurmagomedov stated:
"I don’t like his whole team. I have choice what I’m gonna do, but all other old coaches were too old for me. They cannot fight with me. They’re almost like my father’s age."
NSAC slapped a fine on Khabib Nurmagomedov following the UFC 229 scuffle
It was reported that the Nevada State Athletic Commission filed a formal complaint against both the headliners at UFC 229. Nurmagomedov was fined half of his purse,i.e, $500,000.
In addition to this, NSAC also suspended the lightweight champion for the duration of nine months. Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov, who allegedly climbed inside the cage and threw blows at Conor McGregor, were also suspended for one year each.
In September 2019, Khabib Nurmagomedov made his return to the cage and defended the championship against Dustin Poirier at UFC 242.