Two fighters part of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team have been suspended for their involvement in the infamous UFC 229 brawl late last year.
Zubaira Tukhugov and Abubakar Nurmagomedov were both given one-year suspensions and $25,000 fines by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) at a meeting Tuesday.
Tukhugov and Abubakar will be eligible to return to the cage Oct. 6, 2019, retroactive to the UFC 229 fight date of Oct. 6, 2018.
Tukhugov and Abubakar both played roles in the brawl that followed the UFC 229 main event between Khabib and Conor McGregor, which was Khabib’s first lightweight title defense. Tukhugov and Abubakar were in the corner of Khabib, who submitted McGregor in the fourth round.
After the finish, Khabib jumped over the fence to confront McGregor teammate Dillon Danis, igniting a wild brawl between both teams. In the following days, Khabib, Abubakar, Tukhugov, McGregor, and Danis were all placed on temporary suspensions pending a full hearing.
Tukhugov is 3-1 in the UFC’s Octagon. He hasn’t competed since a 2016 loss to Renato Moicano, who is now one of the top contenders in the featherweight division. Tukhugov holds wins over Douglas Silva de Andrade, Ernest Chavez and Phillipe Nover, but hasn’t picked up a victory since December 2015.
Abubakar, a cousin of Khabib, most recently competed for PFL in their opening season as a welterweight. He lost his PFL debut by submission to Pavel Kusch in a major upset, but bounced back with a decision over Jonatan Westin. In his last bout, he fought to a draw against UFC veteran Bojan Velickovic.
Before PFL, Abubakar had five fights for WSOF, including a one-sided win over UFC veteran John Howard.
Khabib and McGregor both received punishment at the NAC meeting, as well. Just hours before Tuesday’s meeting, it was reported that both fighters had reached settlement agreements with the commission and would not have a full hearing.
Khabib was issued a nine-month suspension and a $500,000 fine, while McGregor was issued a six-month suspension and a $50,000 fine. Khabib’s suspension could be reduced to six months if he opts to enter an anti-bullying program.
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