Khabib Nurmagomedov Suspended 9 Months, Fined $500K for Role in UFC 229 Brawl

Khabib Nurmagomedov was fined $500,000 and suspended for nine months by the Nevada Athletic Commission for inciting a post-fight brawl following his UFC 229 victory over Conor McGregor.

Nurmagomedov’s team reached a settlement with the state of Nevada prior to Tuesday’s hearing, and the punishment was approved by the five-person NAC panel. The UFC lightweight champion’s suspension is retroactive to Oct. 6, and can be reduced if Nurmagomedov participates in an anti-bullying campaign, which would included the filming of a public service announcement. If that goes as planned, “The Eagle” could be eligible to return to UFC competition as soon as April.

Nurmagomedov was not present at Tuesday’s hearing. The NAC had withheld half of the Dagestani’s $2 million purse from the event, so with the fine, he will have $500,000 of those earnings returned to him.

Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov’s teammates, Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov, were both fined $25,000 and suspended one-year for their roles in the incident. As with Khabib, their suspensions are retroactive to Oct. 6.

The melee began when Khabib Nurmagomedov jumped out of the Octagon following his UFC 229 victory to attack McGregor cornerman Dillon Danis. In the meantime, McGregor climbed the cage and took a swing at Nurmagomedov training partner Abubakar Nurmagomedov. Then, Tukhugov and Esedulla Emiragaev entered the cage to confront McGregor, and Tukugov landed a punch on McGregor from behind.

Nurmagomedov improved to 27-0 in his professional career following his fourth-round submission of McGregor. The 30-year-old is 11-0 in the Octagon, with wins over the likes of Al Iaquinta, Edson Barboza, Michael Johnson and Rafael dos Anjos, among others.