Khabib’s Coach Finds Inconsistencies in NSAC’s UFC 229 Penalties

It has been three weeks since the Nevada Athletic Commission (NSAC) handed down the nine month suspension to Khabib Nurmagomedov for his actions in the T-Mobile Arena following the UFC 229 main event. That nine-month suspension could be shortened to six months should Nurmagomedov complete an anti-bullying public service announcement. At the same meeting where the suspension was handed down, the commission condemned pre-fight comments that they deem to be excessively provocative. Khabib Nurmagomedov’s head coach Javier Mendez has noticed a glaring inconsistency:

“If you listen to the Nevada [Athletic Commission] they’re saying they condone what he did, they fined him $500,000, but at the same time too they want him to do an anti-bullying thing so he can come back in April,” Mendez told BJ Penn Radio. “And then they’re talking about trying to see what they can do about stopping fighters from doing what Conor did. Okay, so here you are, you’re outright saying that Khabib was being bullied. That’s what they’re saying, and then they want Khabib to do an anti-bullying program?

“It doesn’t make sense. And then you’re charging him $500,000? Okay, and Conor gets $50,000 but yet he’s the one that started the bullying in the first place and all Khabib did was stood up for himself but you want him to do an anti-bullying program. Khabib is going to tell you, ‘Eff you, I’m not doing that. You’ve got this all wrong. I’m not the one that started this, I’m just the one that finished it.”

Mendez also believes that the commission sanctioned Khabib’s teammates unfairly, arguing that it was Conor McGregor who threw the first punch and that they did not start the melee. It was Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov who were suspended the longest, despite Khabib beginning the melee and McGregor throwing the first punch, and this is another inconsistency that has Mendes perplexed:

“Number two, you have a situation where his coaches, corner men, sparring partners, they went in after Khabib jumped the cage,” Mendez explained. “His cousin jumped the cage looking to see what he could do to help Khabib, and what does Conor do when he jumps the cage? Conor sucker punches him, so then he fights with Conor and then he gets fined for a year and then $25,000? “