Both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor are currently under fire for the post-fight brawl that took place at UFC 229 early this month. While the Nevada Athletic Commission already released half of Khabib’s purse, it also extended the temporary suspension of both fighters, until the actual sanctions are decided up on in the Commission meeting scheduled for December 10th.
NSAC chief Bob Bennett also pins part of the blame on both fighters’ managers, stating his words of caution were not heeded. But according to McGregor’s attorney and former UFC legal counsel Michael Mersch, all the cornermen involved in the melee should take responsibility as well.
“But for the actions of Mr. Nurmagomedov, none of this would have happened,” Mersch said (via MMAjunkie). “I hope the commission will not just focus on the two fighters in this case, because I think the commission has a history of looking at the actions of corner people, as well.
“I don’t pretend to know the names or functions of every single person that was in and out of the octagon post-fight, but I assume that at least some of them were licensed by this commission. And this commission, whether it was in the Zab Judah hearings, or the Mike Tyson ‘Bite Fight,’ the commission looks at activities above and beyond the fighters themselves. Once I have a complaint, we’re happy to address it with them.”
One of the cornermen in question is featherweight fighter Zubaira Tukhugov, who was seen jumping the fence and blindsiding McGregor in the middle of the chaos that ensued. He had already been pulled from his scheduled fight against Artem Lobov at UFC Moncton this weekend, and faces the possibility of being cut from the roster.