NSAC rules on McGregor, Nurmagomedov & Bones

[Beetlegeuse]

For his part in the extracurriculars after UFC 229, Nurmagomedov gets a half million dollar fine (the largest fine ever handed out by NSAC to anyone not named Mike Tyson) and 9-month suspension (retroactive, ends in July), which could be reduced by as much as three months if he does anti-bullying public services announcements for NSAC (in conjunction with the Lost Wages PD and the UFC).

McGregor got a $50,000 fine and six months suspension, retroactive, ends in April. If Khabib manages to create an NSAC-approved PSA in a timely fashion, he also could be eligible to fight in April.

All punishments were 'brokered' in advance of the meeting.

The complicating factor is that Khabib's cornermen, Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov, each were fined $25,000 and suspended for 12 months. Khabib has stated he will not fight so long as his teammates are suspended. He also has stated that he will never fight in Nevada for the UFC again. Nurmagomedov fancies himself a man of his word so we'll see how that works out for him. Zubaira and Abubakar will be out of work until October.

NSAC also kicked around the possibility of punishing fighters for trash-talking that leads to a confrontation such as happened at UFC 229, but I don't see that happening. McGregor's attorney raised "freedom of speech" complications with that plan but I suspect NSAC will counter with "public safety" concerns since the reason Khabib was the more heavily punished of the two was that he endangered public safety when he didn't keep his anger in the cage.

The NSAC discussion broached the topic that McGregor is uniquely skilled at getting people's goats, such as when he called Khabib's father "a quivering coward." Then their was the can-tossing competition with Nate Diaz and the assault on a bus in New York, all of which endangered 'innocent' bystanders and all had McGregor at the eye of the storm. Ultimately it's the UFC who profits most from McGregor's hijinx so if NSAC wants McGregor muzzled, they should put the oneness on the UFC rather than trying to write the rule themselves.


Also, at the same meeting, NSAC gave John 'Bones' Jones a 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card and a license to fight at UFC 235.


The day before the NSAC meeting, the UFC very slyly posted on their website how UFC 229 had brought in a cool $86.4 million in total income to the Lost Wages community.

[MuscleScience]

Shenanigans all the way around. The UFC is getting more and more shady than Boxing.

[Beetlegeuse]

Nurmagomedov told the NSAC they could stick it in their ear, he ain't doing their PSA. He'd rather take the full ride.

The whole idea was stupid anyway. Having a professional mixed martial artist do a PSA against bullying is like having a barber do a PSA against haircuts.

[MuscleScience]

Nurmagomedov told the NSAC they could stick it in their ear, he ain't doing their PSA. He'd rather take the full ride.

The whole idea was stupid anyway. Having a professional mixed martial artist do a PSA against bullying is like having a barber do a PSA against haircuts.

Yeah, pretty freaking stupid. Chael Sonnin had a good video about it last week I believe. The Nevada Board is completely full of itself. He could literal fight anywhere else and make the same money. Selling tickets and paperviews has nothing to do with Vegas. They are smoking crack if they think it does.

[Beetlegeuse]

Geez, I thought this was done and dusted. Now NSAC has penalized McGregor's jiu-jitsu coach (and Bellator welterweight) Dillon Danis for his involvement in the fight after the fight. Turns out they've decided he was the "uncaused first cause," the guy whose heckling got Nurmagoedev's goat and started the whole unpleasantness.

He gets a seven month suspension and a $7500 fine.

For his part, Danis says it was worth it because during the extracurriculars, he got Khabib with a two-piece and a biscuit, which apparently is an obscure reference to a on-two punch and a shot to the breadbasket.

[Beetlegeuse]

Danis' lawyer says that the consequences were more extensive than a $7500 fine because he'd already missed one scheduled Bellator fight, and he implied there were other losses as well.