UFC News: Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor receive hefty fines and a suspension from the NSAC
What's the story?
On January 29th, 2019, a hearing was issued to both parties involved in the UFC 229 post-fight melee, Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Both fighters requested for a settlement clause, ahead of their hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Later the next day, the authorities involved went on to pronounce the extent of the suspensions, alongside the fine levied on two of the sport's biggest attractions, Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In case you didn't know..
Following a dominant performance by Khabib Nurmagomedov during his UFC lightweight championship title fight against Conor McGregor, chaos between both camps seemed to be on the verge of eruption.
Moments after submitting McGregor to a remorseless neck-crank in round number four, Khabib Nurmagomedov was seen leaping over the Octagon, with the intention of getting into a physical altercation with Conor McGregor's Jiu-Jitsu coach, Dillon Danis.
Shortly after the incident, two members from Nurmagomedov's entourage, namely, Abubakar Nurmagomedov, and Zubaira Tukhugov, were seen entering the cage with the intention of attacking McGregor. The Nevada State Athletic Commission was quick in its decision to indefinitely suspend all the fighters involved in the post-fight brawl, making it one of the most spoken of tragedy in combat sports history.
The heart of the matter
After the NSAC hearing on January 29th, 2019, both fighters, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, were given individualistic punishments for their role in the case.
Khabib received a fine of $500,000, along with a 9-month suspension while his UFC 229 counterpart, McGregor, received a $50,000 fine, alongside a 6-month suspension from the sport. Soon after the hearing, Nurmagomedov's manager, Ali Abdelaziz revealed that his fighter is no longer interested to fight within Nevada. He said:
"He's done with Vegas for giving his brothers such harsh punishment. He loves MSG Madison Square Garden. Lots of his fans live around there, and New York has always been good to him. He misses fighting in New York."
Khabib's suspension, although, could be further shortened to a period of six months, providing his participation in a local anti-bullying campaign. The two other fighters involved, Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov, have each received a 12-month ban, along with a $25,000 fine which, according to Ali Abdelaziz, will be paid by Khabib.
What's next?
With a one-year suspension given to both of Khabib's team members, the Dagestani is steadfast on returning to the sport only after his teammates are cleared to do so. In the meantime, Conor McGregor is in talks with Donald Cerrone for a possible fight in the 155-pound division.
Do you think Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor will enter into a highly spoken of rematch on the former's return to the UFC? If so, when do you reckon we can see them both, against each other, in action?
Be sure to leave us with your thoughts, opinions, and predictions in the comments section below!