The ugly fallout from UFC 229 refuses to die down, with Khabib Nurmagomedov adding further fuel to the fire.
Conor McGregor looks like he’s moved on from the defeat at the hands of his Russian opponent after partying at a Drake concert. The Irishman didn’t seem to have a care in the world as he partied hard at the show.
However, both fighters still face a nervous wait over the horrific scenes that broke out following their title fight in Las Vegas. They face temporary 10-day bans as the Nevada Athletic Commission investigates the post-fight brawl.
A vote will be held at the next NAC meeting to decide whether indefinite bans will be handed down.
In the wake of the main event, Nurmagomedov threatened to walk away from the promotion if his teammate, who hit McGregor from behind, is banned.
“If you decide to fire him, you should know that you’ll lose me, too,” Nurmagomedov wrote on Instagram.
“We never give up on our brothers in Russia and I will go to the end for my Brother. If you still decide to fire him, don’t forget to send me my broken contract, otherwise I’ll break it myself.”
But Nurmagomedov went a step further in his shots toward the UFC in an explosive tell-all interview from his homeland Russia.
The champ opened up about medical issues he endured the night before the big fight but stated he didn’t tell anyone outside of his camp because he didn’t want it to be an excuse.
“The day before the fight I did not sleep at all. I had weight loss and I felt very bad,” Nurmagomedov said on Russia’s Channel One.
“I had seizures and I felt very ill, but if I lost I would not tell you about this because that would have been an excuse.”
Things, however, took a drastic turn when the champ began talking about McGregor’s wild bus attack, which took place in the bowels of Barclays Center in April.
A metal barricade, garbage can and a chair were among the items McGregor attempted to fling at a busload of fighters in the bizarre outburst, which sparked confusion among those inside the bus.
Nurmagomedov didn’t hold back when broaching the subject. While McGregor was the one who carried out the attack, he pointed the finger at the UFC.
“When I think back, there are so many questions I don’t have the answer to. Did they do it all on purpose?” he said. “In my personal opinion, I feel like the bus incident was organized with UFC’s help. I can’t accuse them, but I would give it 70 percent that they did it. He’s there with his cameras and his PR team with him shooting.
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“An important point: The Barclays Center is a very big arena, a 20,000-person arena, but he knew where we were exactly. How could they have known? And how did they enter the arena with a gang of 20, 30 men? Come on. Conor has nothing to do with this media event and has a gang with him, but these jokers lead him and everyone to the elevator where our bus is. I’m an athlete, but I’m also educated. My brain works pretty well for 15 years of fighting. I haven’t taken many shots to the head, so I still have brains.”
The explosive accusations won’t sit well with UFC boss Dana White as he continues to deal with the fallout from UFC 229.
Nurmagomedov’s $2 million paycheck from the Las Vegas showdown was withheld, and in a recent Instagram post he told the NAC what they could do with the huge sums of money.
“You can keep my money that you are withholding. You are pretty busy with that, I hope it won’t get stuck in your throat.”
Both fighters will learn their fate on Oct. 24 following a NAC hearing, but with Nurmagomedov continually throwing haymakers at the promotion, he may not like the outcome.
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