Nevada State Athletic Commission Files Complaints After UFC 229 Brawl
The Nevada State Athletic Commission says they will file formal complaints against MMA fighters Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor after a brawl broke out after their UFC 229 bout on Saturday.
The undefeated Nurmagomedov retained his lightweight title after McGregor submitted in the fourth round. Immediately after the match, Nurmagomedov jumped over the octagon cage and got to a fight with member of McGregor's entourage.
"The Nevada State Athletic Commission’s (Commission) primary function is to regulate unarmed combat within the State of Nevada. The events that occurred on October 6, 2018 at the conclusion of the Nurmagomedov-McGregor contest—the main event of UFC 229—are currently under investigation by the Commission’s Executive Director, Bob Bennet. Neither the Commission nor its staff, including Executive Director Bennett, will comment on matters under investigation," the commission said in a statement.
Examining the Potential Legal Fallout of the Post-Fight McGregor-Khabib Brawl at UFC 229
The Nevada State Athletic Commission will withhold Nurmagomedov's $2 million for the fight. McGregor was paid his $3 million purse, but both fighters can expect a complaint to be filed once an investigation is started.
"This is a serious issue, this is not a light issue,” NSAC chairman Anthony Marnell told ESPN.com. “This isn’t, ‘We smacked each other in the face in a hotel lobby the week of a fight.’ This is the night of the event, and it needs to stay inside that field of combat. There are serious regulations and statutes about what took place, and the consequences have to match the actions.”
Marnell said that Nurmagomedov is facing a fine or suspension for his actions and the commission will likely hold disciplinary hearings before the end of November.
