Bas Rutten Understands Khabib’s Actions After UFC 229

UFC 229 earlier this month (Sat. October 6, 2018) featured a wild finish. Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Conor McGregor via fourth-round submission. After the fight, the UFC lightweight champion hopped the Octagon and attacked McGregor cornerman Dillon Danis. Danis was allegedly antagonizing “The Eagle” from cageside.

A huge brawl sparked off between both teams as a result. Many considered the incident to be a black eye on the sport. Both McGregor and Khabib are facing complaints from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Recently, MMA legend Bas Rutten discussed the matter on “Submission Radio”. Rutten was asked for his thoughts on Khabib jumping the cage and attacking Danis.

While Rutten admits that it shouldn’t have happened, he did say he understands where Khabib was coming from as well:

“Okay, first, let’s say this, it shouldn’t have happened, it’s wrong. I know that it’s all wrong. It should not have happened, I’m not for it. Not at all. But I can totally get it, right? We’re all human. He’s been taking insults for the last six weeks, two months, every day. Every day he decided not to say anything back.

“Yeah, a little here and there, but you know what it is? That’s a drop in a bucket, and it keeps on going and it keeps on going and it keeps on going. And after the fight, finally, the fight is over, they’re finally unloading, and then the coach for McGregor starts saying something to him. That was the drop that made the bucket flow, and he just lost it at that moment.

“Then, everything came back – all the insults about his family, about his religion, about his country. You know, there’s a lot of things (Conor said). And everybody says the same thing, but people go, ‘come on, Bas, you can understand it?’ I say, you can’t understand that? Of course I can understand. Everybody’s human.

“What, he’s a machine? He doesn’t get effected by it? If somebody talks about my family and my religion and my culture, ‘oh, these stupid people from Holland,’ and it’s constantly going, and ‘your friends are terrorists,’ and it just keeps on digging, eventually, yeah, you’re going to hit a snare somewhere.

“And then when the moment presents itself and they keep on going after it, yeah, I can completely understand it. Should it have ever happened? Of course not, I’m not for it. I’m not saying it’s good. Absolutely not. But I can understand it happened. That’s the only thing I’m saying. Well, I said the same thing when Conor went wrong (at UFC 223), right?

“I said, the fans of Conor should give him a break. I mean, we all do stupid stuff, I said at the time. But he’s gonna have to pay for what he does, of course. He needs to go to the athletic commission, and whatever fine it is, well, he’s gonna have to pay that. For sure.”