Things didn’t end after Khabib Nurmagomedov tapped out Conor McGregor Saturday night at UFC229’s main event in Las Vegas. If anything, they just got crazier.
After Nurmagomedov won, a new fight began and violence spilled out into the crowd.
“Khabib’s team (appeared) to start the insanity,” CBS Sports reported. “The melee quickly spilled out into the ringside area as police restrained a number of fans who jumped the barricade. Nurmagomedov got into a shouting match with UFC president Dana White during the altercation inside the cage.”
(CBS is the parent company of CNET.)
CBS called the post-fight scene “one of the ugliest in UFC’s history.” Fans had plenty of other things to call it.
“All hell has broken loose at T-Mobile Arena,” tweeted CBS Sports writer Brian Campbell. “People jumping barricades to get into the melee. Cops cuffing people on top of my laptop on media row.”
All hell has broken loose at T-Mobile Arena. People jumping barricades to get into the melee. Cops cuffing people on top of my laptop on media row. #UFC229
— Brian Campbell (@BCampbellCBS) October 7, 2018
Who would’ve thought getting a bunch of Irish people and Russians in a room who’ve been drinking all day might go badly
— Vince Mancini (@VinceMancini) October 7, 2018
Just witnessed the end of UFC as a legitimate form of entertainment. Unfortunate that I paid money for this joke of an event. Don’t even try, WWE remains the gold standard. This is comically bad and I want my money back.
— Matt Davis (@mf_davis) October 7, 2018
Maybe the most interesting thing to happen in the UFC in quite a while
— Brock Ascher (@BrockAscher) October 7, 2018
Anyway, I couldn’t have asked for a better event. All that hype and the event managed to be even wilder. A+
— Vince Mancini (@VinceMancini) October 7, 2018
Many fans remembered an April event in which McGregor showed up unannounced at UFC 223 in Brooklyn, and attacked a van filled with UFC fighters, including Nurmagomedov. Some on social media connected the two events, and others said they couldn’t possibly compare.
Some were angry at McGregor for insulting remarks he made about his opponent’s father and other remarks he made about Nurmagomedov’s manager. And several pointed out that UFC is raking in big money regardless.
Dana White just said he’s disgusted but when McGregor attacked Khabib’s bus full of other fighters and women, he used the footage as promo. Stop giving us the fake speech Dana, you’re probably more upset that your boy McGregor lost & Khabib won. #UFC229 #McGregorKhabib pic.twitter.com/WR11I847XV
— R1 + ⭕️ (@R1Finesse) October 7, 2018
McGregor fans are quick to call Khabib a grub (rightly so) but are quick to forget the fact that Conor threw a trolley through a bus window and injured innocent fighters, not to mention the constant discrimination of Khabib’s religion all week 🐸☕️#UFC229
— jordan. 🔴 (@jordsss_7) October 7, 2018
“McGregor shouldn’t have in the fight because of the bus incident”
“Khabib should be in jail for jumping the crowd!!”
UFC: pic.twitter.com/wgooEjvPQe
— Ali 🇵🇭🇮🇶🇲🇦 | happy Patriots fan (@TheyCallMeYDG) October 7, 2018
UFC President Dana White later announced that McGregor refused to press charges against three people who were detained by police after the incident. White said he believed, but wasn’t sure, that the three were members of Nurmagomedov’s team.
White also said that Nurmagomedov’s $2 million purse was being withheld by the Nevada State Athletic Commision but McGregor’s was not being withheld.
Dana White:
“The NSAC pulled the footage from us and there is an investigation going on. They are withholding Khabib’s purse, they are not withholding Conor McGregor’s. They looked at the footage and realized there is no reason to withhold Conor’s purse.”
— Brian Campbell (@BCampbellCBS) October 7, 2018
The fight itself played out as many had predicted. Most pundits expected either a quick knockout for McGregor or a drawn out beating from Nurmagamedov. Outside of round three (which McGregor won on all judges scorecards) it was domination on the ground by Nurmagamedov, who eventually submitted McGregor via rear-naked choke.
After winning the fight and leaping over the cage to attack McGregor’s jiu jitsu coach Dillon Dannis, McGregor was attacked from behind in the cage by two more members of Nurmagamedov’s team.
Upon returning to the cage, UFC President Dana White refused to put the belt around the waist of Nurmagamedov, for his own safety. He was afraid the crowd would start throwing objects into the cage. After being calmed down, Nurmagamedov was escorted backstage.
Daniel Cormier, Nurmagamedov’s training partner and current Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight champion, was one of the people helping calm him down, he blamed the fight promotion and cultural differences. Before the fight McGregor had criticised Nurmagamedov’s family and called his manager Ali Abdelaziz a “snitch, terrorist rat”.
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. Sucks
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) October 7, 2018
Josh Thompson, a former UFC fighter who also trains alongside Nurmagamedov, pointed to earlier trash talking by McGregor ahead of the fight.
You can’t talk about people’s families in a world where everyone is raised with different morals and ideologies. It’s not a game to everyone and cannot be forgiven after the fight.
— Josh Thomson (@THEREALPUNK) October 7, 2018
When Mike Tyson calls the night “crazy” you know it was crazy.
In a press conference after the melee, Nurmagomedov apologized to the city, state and athletic commission, saying, “This is not my best side.”
At press time, there was no word on whether Nurmagomedov would be suspended, stripped of his title, or otherwise penalized.
Updated 12.47am PDT: Added comments from Khabib Nurmagamedov’s teammates.