New Video Reveals What Really Made Khabib Nurmagomedov Go Crazy After Crushing Conor McGregor At UFC 229
A newly uncovered video posted to Twitter Tuesday by an MMA journalist reveals what apparently caused UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov to leap over the octagon fence and into the ringside crowd, setting off a near-riot inside the T-Mobile Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, Saturday night after Nurmagomedov defeated former champion Conor McGregor in a one-sided affair.
In a hugely-hyped UFC 229 main event fueled by an even higher level of bad blood between the two fighters than most featured UFC matchups, Nurmagomedov — usually known simply as “Khabib” — mauled McGregor for three full rounds before forcing the Dublin, Ireland, native to tap from a rear-naked choke in the fourth. While most of the pre-fight animosity came from McGregor and his camp, as Inquisitr reported, McGregor could be heard seeming to plead with Khabib during the fight, telling him, “It’s only business.”
But the newly released cell phone video from inside the octagon-side crowd appears to show that it was not “only business” for Rizvan Magomedov, president of the Russian arm of Dominance MMA, the company that manages Khabib. The video, seen below, shows Magomedov “harassing Dillon Danis who pushes him away as Nurmagomedov notices the skirmish and jumps in to assist,” according to MMA journalist Mike Russell, posting on his Twitter account.
“Magomedov who can be seen in other videos scuffling with police trying to break up the brawl was arrested.”
Danis, seen in the video above wearing a white t-shirt and sporting bleach-blonde, two-toned hair, is McGregor’s jiu-jitsu coach. Russell posted a second video that he says shows Magomedov throwing punches at Danis as the brawl spirals out of control.
Another clip of Magomedov throwing punches at Danis and trying to get around/away from police who eventually detain him. pic.twitter.com/fgBFZ1tEZJ
— Mike Russell (@MIKERUSSELLMMA) October 9, 2018
“(Magomedov) can be seen… throwing haymakers at Dillon as the police try to break up the brawl,” Russell wrote on his Twitter feed.
Another Twitter user posted a video of Magomedov apparently under arrest following the brawl, and the Russian news agency TASS said that he had been “detained” by police, though it remains unclear if charges were filed.
Khabib team member getting arrested after the fight #ufc229 #khabib #conor pic.twitter.com/GPhuBnV5Wu
— Terez Owens (@TerezOwens) October 7, 2018
While discipline for Khabib’s role in setting off the brawl has not been announced, UFC President Dana White said that the Russian’s suspension from fighting under the promotion’s banner could be lengthy — though Khabib will retain his championship belt, according to MMA Fighting.
“He absolutely keeps his title,” White said. “And he’s going to get suspended, so maybe you give him a four-to-six month suspension. Listen, [the Nevada State Athletic Commission] took his whole purse right now, and they’re talking about keeping his purse. I do not think that that should happen. I think they should take $250,000 from him.”
