UFC Boss: Khabib Won't Be Striped Off Title

If Khabib Nurmagomedov gets punished for his role in the post-fight melee that overtook UFC 229, it will likely come from the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) and not the UFC.

UFC president Dana White told TMZ this week that Nurmagomedov will “absolutely” not be stripped of the lightweight title he successfully defended with a fourth-round submission over Conor McGregor on Saturday in the blockbuster main event of UFC 229.

“He absolutely keeps his title,” White told TMZ. “And he’s going to get suspended, so maybe you give him a four-to-six month suspension.

“Listen, [the NAC] took his whole purse right now, and they’re talking about keeping his purse. I do not think that that should happen,” White added when asked about what should happen to Nurmagomedov. “You should not be able to keep his whole purse. ... I think they should take $250,000 from him.”

The brawl between Nurmagomedov’s team and McGregor’s team erupted at UFC 229 after Nurmagomedov scaled the cage and dove into McGregor’s corner to seemingly confront the Irishman’s teammate Dillon Danis. Chaos ensued, and White said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference that he was “disgusted and sick” by the messy scene that overshadowed an event that may very well be the most-watched MMA pay-per-view in history.

Speaking to TMZ this week, White said his mood was much improved — he admitted that he was “a little giddy” after starting to see pay-per-view numbers roll in — but he still reiterated his point that Nurmagomedov made the wrong decision on Saturday night.

“I don’t think there’s too many people who don’t understand why he did it, but he shouldn’t have done it,” White said. “He’s the world champion. He just beat Conor in front of the entire world. Stand up, get that belt wrapped around you. You won, you won. The guy who’s yelling at you means nothing. That guy means nothing.”

- www.mmafighting.com