Khabib Nurmagomedov has reportedly shut down the possibility of ever fighting in Las Vegas again after reacting angrily to the punishments he and his teammates received from the Nevada State Athletic Commission yesterday for their role in the brawl that occured following UFC 229 last year.
“He’s done with Vegas for giving his brothers such harsh punishment,” Ali Abdelaziz told ESPN. “He loves MSG [Madison Square Garden]. Lots of his fans live around there, and New York has always been good to him. He misses fighting in New York.”
Nurmagomedov’s cousin Abubakar Nurmagomedov and teammate Zubaira Tukhugov were both suspended from the sport for a year for their part in attacking Conor McGregor in the Octagon, which seems to have particularly perturbed ‘The Eagle.’
Nurmagomedov himself was handed a 9 month suspension and $500,000 fine, though he could cut his sentence by 3 months if he agreed to participate in an anti-bullying campaign.
However, it seems Nurmagomedov is set to shun that offer and instead will serve his full suspension, while targetting a potential return to action in November, much further away than the UFC would have ideally liked.
Though he didn’t say so it’s likely Nurmagomedov was also unhappy with the fact that McGregor received a more lenient sentence, being suspended for 6 months and only being fined $50,000.
If the lightweight champion does opt to wait until nearer the end of 2019 to return then it’s likely that McGregor will fight someone else before a potential rematch between the two might take place.
