Khabib Jumps Cage, Attacks Conor Friend Dillon Danis @ UFC229

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov committed the unthinkable in the moments after he made MMA superstar Conor McGregor tap to defeat at UFC 229 in Las Vegas.

The Dagestani grappler jumped over the cage in an attempt to land a dropkick on McGregor’s friend Dillon Danis. A mixed-martial artist who trains with the Irishman, Danis was also hit in the ensuing melee by Khabib’s friends. Security promptly stepped in to separate the two parties.

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Before the media and audience inside T-Mobile Arena could settle down, however, the action almost immediately shifted to inside the octagon, with at least two Khabib relatives ganging up on the exhausted Macgregor.

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Within a few minutes, three close associates of Khabib had been arrested and taken away by police, while a perfunctory announcement was made that indeed Khabib had retained his lightweight championship belt despite fears that he would be disqualified.

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For his part in the fracas, Khabib is expected to be sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The $2 million UFC purse he was to receive for the fight is currently on hold pending a formal investigation.

Khabib appeared at a very brief post-fight press conference, alternately apologizing and justifying his behavior. He claimed to have received a congratulatory phone call from Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Khabib Interpreter Rizvan Magomedov
Khabib’s interpreter Rizvan Magomedov

In a show of magnanimity, MacGregor reportedly expressed his preference that the police charges against Khabib’s associates be dropped. No word yet as to the medical condition of his friend Danis.

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I’ll be back.

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Within three hours, McGregor posted the message “I’ll be back” on his Instagram account, and on Twitter, his desire for a rematch.

Khabib was a slight favorite in the match against the Irish striker, the biggest test in his career to date, and he was able to defeat the striker by the fourth round.

Earlier this year, McGregor was stripped of his lightweight championship belt for inactivity over a two-year hiatus during which he fought against boxer Floyd Mayweather. Nurmagomedov gained the LW belt in April this year after winning over Al Iaquinta, a real-estate agent who had volunteered after other highly ranked opponents had to pull out due to various circumstances.