UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov would score a fourth round submission win over Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 229, but would then go after McGregor’s team to start a post-fight brawl.
Arjan Bhullar competes in the UFC Heavyweight Division and he believses it would be a hypocritical move by the UFC to punish Nurmagomedov for the brawl.
“[McGregor] jumped a cage at a Bellator event, attacked a referee, he smashed a dolly through a bus, he threw bottles into a crowd at the Diaz press conference, where are you going to draw a line? At the end of the day, if you’re going to pick Khabib’s actions at where you draw the line, I think that’s hypocritical. Look at [McGregor’s] history and I’m going to venture a guess that he wasn’t of a sober state in some of those incidents. Whereas for Khabib, it’s real life. He doesn’t push any of those narratives. Look at what he’s about. Everyone before this — he’s been about respect. He hasn’t had any incidents. Again, none of it should be happening, but if you’re going to do something; don’t have a double standard, that’s all I’m saying,” Bhullar said to Bloody Elbow.
It actually won’t be the UFC who would be punishing either fighter for their role in the UFC 229, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) who has that responsibility.
Bhullar readily admits that the post-fight brawl and none of the trash talk leading up to the UFC 229 main event shouldn’t have happened anyway.
“None of it’s right,” said Bhullar. “Number one. None of it should be happening. It’s a shame for our sport. Kids look up to us. We have a certain platform as athletes and it would be much better if we’re able to showcase positive attributes and what it means to be a world class athlete and especially a martial artist. You think martial arts, you think humility, loyalty, all those good things. Why not be a champion of that stuff?”
Nurmagomedov has already had his fight purse withheld for the post-fight brawl, while Nurmagomedov and McGregor were both served a 10 day suspension from the NSAC.
