Everything could be expected from the night's challenge for the UFC Lightweight title except that it ended without knowing who the champion is. In the Octagon to win was the holder, Khabib "the eagle" Nurmagomedov, who at 3 minutes and 3 seconds of the fourth round forced Connor McGregor, a superstar even outside the world of MMA, to declare the surrender following a neck crank, or a crushing of the neck. A match of high technical level, clearly in favor of Nurmagomedov who confirmed his extraordinary technical skills in the fight but that he has transformed into what is probably today is the saddest page of this sport. When the referee Herb Dean has stopped the match the Russian has in fact placed resistance to being separated from the Irish. Then he was pushed away because he was ranting at McGregor. A bad behavior but at least partly excusable with anxiety for this match accumulated for years. Unfortunately, however, the Russian did not stop there and, shocking everyone present and the audience in front of the TV in the world, jumped into the crowd attacking some members of the McGregor team. Meanwhile, in the Octagon, his seconds hit McGregor behind him.
The police were present at the T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to block the situation. The Irishman was escorted out while an embarrassed Dana White, president of UFC, struggled to persuade Nurmagomedov to abandon the structure for reasons of public order without wearing, as claimed, the belt of champion. The verdict, for the first time in history, was therefore proclaimed without athletes present. The Las Vegas police later arrested three members of the entourage of the Dagestan athlete who were however released as McGregor refused to file a complaint. Now, on paper, Nurmagomedov remains the champion, but already White in the press conference post event declared that, in case of long disqualification, the title will be revoked. In fact, everything is now in the hands of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the state body that regulates sporting events under American law. The UFC first hoped for an iron fist to sanction the behavior of Nurmagomedov and comrades who already risks being sanctioned by the promotion with the non-payment of the scholarship. A very sad and unprecedented episode in a sport, the MMA, marked by the great respect of the adversaries. Now, however, this match will enter the annals of sports news not for its technical value but for the shameful ending.
The rivalry between the two athletes was old. Khabib has been waiting for this challenge for years. It had never been disputed before for some reluctance of the UFC to make fight the most media character of all MMA with a fighter with an image not at all palatable for the mainstream public; then for McGregor's absence from the Octagon for almost two years. The Russian wanted to prove himself to be the best in the world and took on the personal provocations of "the irish pride" and his team.
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