UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov would score a fourth round submission victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 229, but would then hop the Octagon fence to incite a huge brawl.
Bellator MMA President Scott Coker has seen the braw, which he has labeled a black eye to the MMA industry.
“To me, it’s a black eye for the industry,” Coker said during a Bellator 207/208 press conference. “It’s up to all of us to pick it up and make sure something like that never happens again. But that was embarrassing moment for the sport, as far as I’m concerned.”
Nurmagomedov had his fight purse withheld for the incident, while the champ and McGregor could be facing more penalties from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
Coker says that the UFC 229 should not be an indication of the way things should be in MMA.
“If you look at our cage now, it’s very thin in there,” he said. “I would say it was an explosive environment, and it got explosive (at UFC 229). And that’s not the way it should be.”
McGregor hopped the cage wall at Bellator 187, causing a riot like seen after a victory by teammate Charlie Ward.
