Conor McGregor made his long-awaited return to the Octagon at UFC 229 and promptly proceeded to get his butt-whooped by lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov was in complete control of the fight from the start, establishing dominant positions on McGregor for the first two rounds. McGregor managed to escape the threat, but he did suffer some powerful blows and was clearly fatigued from the early ground game. McGregor showed some life in the third round, landing some shots on Nurmagomedov, but by he appeared gassed and there didn't seem to be that signature power behind his punches.
By round four, it was over. At 3:03 in the fourth round, Nurmagomedov (27-0) defended his 155-pound championship by submitted McGregor (21-4) via rear-naked choke.
But it was what happened after the match that got fans talking.
Following his victory, Nurmagomedov immediately turned towards McGregor's corner, tossing his mouthpiece towards and shouting towards McGregor's team. It didn't stop there though, as Nurmagomedov then jumped the fence and got involved in a short brawl with a member of McGregor's corner. Footage of the brawl outside the Octagon is
posted to Twitter.
While the melee ensued, an unidentified man jumped into the Octagon and sucker-punched McGregor, who was still recovering from the match. The entire chaotic ordeal, as it was shown on camera,
can also be found. It honestly looks like something you'd see out of the WWE, which is the perception the UFC has been trying to avoid.
The ugly incident ended with both fighters being escorted into the backstage area with no comment. Before exiting, Nurmagomedov argued for his belt, but UFC president Dana White warned him,
"If I put this belt on you, everybody's going to start throwing sh*t into the Octagon."
Khabib Nurmagomedov may have entered and left his match against Conor McGregor as lightweight champion, he exited the Octagon beltless. Following the post-match chaos, White offered an update, confirming that three members of Nurmagomedov's team have been arrested.
As for what's next for either fighter, well, that remains to be seen. It's possible Nurmagomedov will be suspended for his actions, but it's unlikely that he'll be stripped of his belt. Technically, the next challenger in line is Tony Ferguson after he defeated Anthony Pettis. Or will the UFC grant McGregor an immediate rematch?
McGregor's future, meanwhile, is a bit more complex as there are so many fighters who want a shot at the former champ (mostly because of the payday he brings). The superstar
just signed a six-fight deal with the UFC. He mentioned fighting Anderson Silva,
which Silva seems open to. He could also go for part three of Nate Diaz. McGregor also mentioned a possible boxing rematch with Floyd Mayweather.
Of course, following the financial success of UFC 229, it's likely that the UFC is already eyeing a rematch between Nurmagomedov and McGregor. Although, I think it'll be a while before we see that - just to let things cool off a bit. But will the UFC want to risk having McGregor lose again before capitalizing on a rematch with Nurmagomedov? So many questions!