The Biggest Fight in UFC History Upstaged by Post-Fight Brawl

What was billed as the biggest fight in UFC history at UFC 229 Saturday night between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor certainly lived up to expectations, resulting in a fourth-round victory by submission for Nurmagomedov, who successfully defended his lightweight title. However, in an unprecedented turn of events, the chaos immediately following McGregor’s tap out managed to upstage the main event and likely have large consequences for both fight’s victory and the sport as a whole.

Once the fight was over, Nurmagomedov approached the other side of the Octagon and began yelling at McGregor’s corner. He then forced his way past security, leaping out of the Octagon and into the crowd, where he proceeded to attack McGregor’s teammate and jiu-jitsu coach Dillon Danis, who had been very vocal in the lead up to the fight, and had no doubt been hurling vicious words at Nurmagomedov. As this was happening, three members of Nurmagomedov’s team entered the Octagon and threw punches at McGregor from both front and back.

After security restrained everyone involved, both fighters and members from their teams were escorted out of the arena, leaving Bruce Buffer to announce the victor to the crowd alone.

I will not mince words here: these actions were incredibly unprofessional, an abomination, and a disgrace to both the UFC and combat sports in general. My first impression, outside of sheer disbelief at the spectacle, was that there was no way Nurmagomedov should be presented with the championship belt.

For some reason, Nurmagomedov was allowed back into the Octagon, where he began to repeatedly ask for his belt. Then Dana White appeared, reaching the same conclusion as I did, telling Nurmagomedov that if he was given the belt, there would likely be a riot leading to more injuries.

In the aftermath of the incident, the aforementioned three members of Nurmagomedov’s team were arrested, later being released after McGregor decided not to press charges. Nurmagomedov’s pay check for the fight is being withheld by the Nevada State Athletic Commission while an investigation is performed, and Dana White has promised “big-money fines.”

The feud between McGregor, Nurmagomedov, and their teams is much larger than this fight. Back in April, Nurmagomedov had an altercation with McGregor teammate Artem Lobov. Two days later, on media day for UFC 223, McGregor and a team of roughly 20 others confronted Nurmagomedov, who was on a bus leaving the Barclays Center. McGregor threw a dolly at the bus, shattering glass and sending two fighters to the hospital, who then had to be removed from the fight card. McGregor received multiple charges for the incident, and is still involved in lawsuits surrounding it.

Leading up to Saturday’s fight, things only intensified as McGregor attacked Nurmagomedov’s family, country, and religion, among other things. While clearly angry at McGregor, prior to the fight, Nurmagomedov had handled these attacks well. Following the fight, that all changed.

Ultimately, Nurmagomedov will be punished by the MMA for his actions. He will assuredly be fined, but I also believe he should be suspended and forced to vacate his title. I am sympathetic towards Nurmagomedov, but I cannot excuse him endangering people by jumping into the crowd and attempting to start a fight. There are really no words to describe how wrong this is under any circumstances.

In a statement to the press following the event which I encourage you to watch, Nurmagomedov stressed how we should be focusing on McGregor’s attacks and antics, adding that the media has changed MMA from a respect sport to a trash talking sport. Nurmagomedov wants to change the sport, and urges that we cannot talk about things like country and religion.

What frustrates me the most is that almost everything Nurmagomedov says is absolutely correct. Trash talk should be about the fighters, and nothing else. McGregor routinely pushes the boundary, acting out violently, breaking rules, and taking everything a step too far. He gets away with far too much because of his massive popularity and the attention he commands for a sport so dependent on promotion. Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, has maintained a strong reputation as a quieter fighter and a national hero. He clearly fights with pride and a great deal of respect, and had reached his tipping point.

Yet, this was so unnecessary. The easiest way as a fighter to silence your opponent and your haters is to win the fight, and Nurmagomedov dominated, solidifying his position as the undisputed top lightweight fighter in the world. I understand keeping one’s composure is much easier said than done, especially in a fight situation, but Nurmagomedov’s lack of control is disappointing. It will hurt his personal brand, his career (potentially including his ability to fight in the U.S. if charges are filed), and MMA.

The people I was watching the fight with kept calling for a replay of the post-fight theatrics. I knew the UFC would never oblige. The whole situation was an absolute disaster from a business perspective. MMA has a hard time enough as it is trying to escape the animalistic image of the sport, attempting to earn respect and legitimacy. As a sport, MMA was banned in the state of New York until 2016 largely because of this viewpoint. Having the biggest fight in your sport’s history be one-upped by a post-fight brawl involving your biggest names is nothing short of an embarrassment.

Think of how much harder this becomes to market, especially to families and children. The message that was sent after this fight was that the UFC and MMA is not ready to be taken seriously. For any business, that is devastating.

It remains to be seen what official punishment Nurmagomedov will receive for the incident, but the whole affair is sure to leave a bad taste in a lot of mouths. But despite everything that happened, one person doesn’t seem to be rattled at all: Conor McGregor. Ever the showman, the Irishman is already looking forward to a rematch.