The rivalry between Conor McGregor and Russian juggernaut Khabib Nurmagomedov has been long, dirty and full of drama, but this Saturday night at UFC 229 their antics reached a level that made some of pro wrestling’s wildest brawls look tame.
To really understand the beef between these two fighters you’d have to go back a long way, but suffice it say they, and by extension their teammates, don’t like each other very much. McGregor, one of the more controversial names in the sports world today, has come under fire several times for remarks made about Khabib’s faith and family.
And of course there was the whole incident before UFC 223 that saw McGregor and a large gang find their way into the Barclays Center, attacking a tour bus that contained Khabib and several other fighters, shattering windows and sending multiple people to the hospital. Conor was arrested and released on a $50,000 bail, taking a plea deal that included a short amount of community service.
While UFC President Dana White publicly condemned his actions, that didn’t stop the promotion for quickly signing a fight between the two stars, and playing up the incident as much as possible to help drive sales. That all came to a head this Saturday night in Las Vegas, on what may go down as one of the most controversial nights in the history of professional MMA.
Just seconds after tapping out McGregor in the fourth round to retain the UFC Lightweight Championship, Nurmagomedov jumped over the octagon and went after Dillon Danis, one of Conor’s teammates who, according to Joe Rogan, had been provoking him throughout the fight. Moments later, just as it looked like security had gotten things under control, two more men – assumed to be part of Khabib’s team – hit the octagon and attacked McMregor.
In the end, three members of Khabib’s crew were arrested, McGregor was escorted out of the arena by security, and the champion’s payday was held hostage by the Nevada State Athletic Commission pending a full investigation. As of this writing, Conor has declined to press charges.
Khabib, who isn't known for his stand up, stood right there in front of Conor, one of the best strikers the UFC has ever seen, and ate those shots & signaled to him "come on". Incredible! #GlassChinTho #UFC229 pic.twitter.com/Bmg7iudz0X
— New Account (@ftbeard_17) October 7, 2018
That’s what you get for insulting his religion, khabib you legend #UFC229 pic.twitter.com/rIbhjexHUK
— TeamBeqa 🇦🇱🇦🇱🇦🇱 (@TeamBeqa) October 7, 2018
Idk about you, but that looks like an #eagle getting ready to grab a salmon out of the water… #UFC229 pic.twitter.com/LcxlJY3uRh
— Coltyn Seifert (@ColtynSeifert) October 7, 2018
This angle from @RamGilboa shows the madness a bit better. #UFC229 pic.twitter.com/SkQMVdz09w
— FloCombat (@FloCombat) October 7, 2018
Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn't understand why people are talking about him jumping out of the Octagon. #UFC229 pic.twitter.com/ZRgOwMjShl
— ESPN (@espn) October 7, 2018
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