The champion of the Absolute Fighting Championship (UFC) in lightweight champion Habib Nurmagomedov expects severe sanctions because of the incident that occurred at the UFC 229 tournament last October. The Russian athlete believes that he will be disqualified for provoking a mass brawl after a fight with Conor MacGregor.
“I will have a trial on January 29. I may be disqualified for nine months or a year. If I do not fight for a whole year, then I can’t imagine what will happen next and who will be my next opponent, ”Nurmagomedov said at a meeting with fans in Australia.
The court that the Russian fighter mentioned is the Nevada Athletic Commission (NSAC) hearing on the events of October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas. NSAC is responsible for licensing MMA fighters and professional boxers to compete in Nevada, where the most lucrative martial arts shows are usually held. The commission has the right to prohibit any athlete to fight on his territory if he committed unlawful actions.
On January 29, the NSAC had to figure out exactly what happened after the title fight between Nurmagomedov and McGregor in UFC 229. After winning the third round, the Russian fighter jumped over the fence and attacked Dillon Denis, the sparring partner and jiu-jitsu trainer. At the same time, the Irishman hit Abubakar Nurmagomedov, who ran up to him, and received a blow in response. The former UFC champion was also attacked by two other members of the Nurmagomedov team, Zubair Tuhugov and Esed Emiragaev.
As a result, the awarding ceremony of Nurmagomedov was disrupted, he received his championship belt later. His manager Rizvan Magomedov and two Russian fighters were briefly arrested. The head of the UFC, Dana White, threatened the native of Dagestan with a fine and disqualification, the payment of prize money to him was frozen. The NSAC promptly disqualified Macgregor and Nurmagomedov for ten days, but then announced an additional hearing, the outcome of which could be a harsher verdict against the athletes. The trial was repeatedly postponed, and according to the latest data it should be held on January 29.
After the scandal, Nurmagomedov apologized for his behavior and stated that he was provoked by numerous insults from the team of McGregor before and during the fight. Also, the Russian fighter recalled the incident before the UFC 223 tournament, when the Irishman, along with his retinue, attacked the bus in which Nurmagomedov was traveling.
Commenting on a possible disqualification, the UFC champion spoke in a calm tone, as if this question did not bother him at all. In fact, whatever the NSAC verdict may seriously affect Nurmagomedov’s career. In fact, he can only be temporarily banned from performing in Las Vegas. Other US states have their own athletic commissions issuing permits to fight by their own rules. Their incident in Nevada does not apply, so Nurmagomedov will be able to continue to compete in the UFC and hold fights in New York or California, where fans will also be waiting for him to fork out for tickets to the fans.
Of course, do not forget that the decision of the NSAC can also affect the mood in the UFC leadership. The organization also reserves the right to punish athletes at its discretion in order to avoid image losses. In the past, the head of the promotion of Dana White sounded claims that Nurmagomedov may be deprived of the champion title.
However, his last comments indicate that the Las Vegas incident has long been settled. In January, he said that the re-fight of Nurmagomedov and McGregor will take place before the end of 2019, which can not fail to please all fans of mixed martial arts.
True, the Russian fighter himself has not recently shown enthusiasm for a possible rematch. He considers his victory sufficiently convincing and not subject to doubt.
"Revenge? For what? He also talked a lot before the fight, but when we went into the cage, I couldn’t do anything, ”Nurmagomedov said in surprise at another meeting with the fans.
The Dagestan wrestler has a rich list of rivals, and MacGregor is not the first in it. Nurmagomedov has not yet met with Tony Ferguson, fights with which have been repeatedly postponed. Also recently, the activity on social networks began to show Neith Diaz - the first fighter to defeat McGregor in the UFC. The conflict continues with Nurmagomedov, which began in 2015. At the same time, Diaz has not played since 2016, when he lost to McGregor in a rematch.