Morning Report: Javier Mendez blasts NAC after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s ‘ridiculous’ $500,000 fine

MMAfighting.com

When Khabib Nurmagomedov jumped out of the cage at UFC 226 to go after Conor McGregor’s team, he did more than just start a brawl that became international news and laid the ground work for the most lucrative rematch in MMA history, he also cost himself a half million dollars.

Last month, Nurmagomedov finally received his punishment for his role in the post-fight brawl at UFC 226 and it was a hefty one: a $500,000 fine and a nine-month suspension from competition, with the possibility of reducing the suspension by three months if Khabib participates in an anti-bullying public service announcement. In comparison, Conor McGregor was only fined $50,000 and received a six-month suspension. In light of that, many felt the punishment for Nurmagomedov was excessive, including Khabib’s coach at American Kickboxing Academy, Javier Mendez.

“Yeah, you know, it’s just an unfortunate thing,” Mendez told Submission Radio recently. “It’s unfortunate Khabib jumped out of the cage and did something he shouldn’t have, but the fortunate thing is they broke that thing up. Nobody got hurt, 34 seconds, how come you’re sending out such a strong message? The commission there fining by him $500,000, which is just f’n ridiculous.”

Nurmagomedov and McGregor were not the only people suspended though. Khabib’s teammates, Zubaira Tukhugov and Abubakar Nurmagomedov were each issued one-year suspensions and $25,000 fines for their roles in the brawl, which Mendez also believes is excessive considering how everything went down.

“Number one, nobody got hurt, it was contained,” Mendez said. “You fine him $500,000? That number was a big giant, huge slap in the face to him. Number two, his cousin jumps on the cage after that goes on and is up on top of the cage going to go over where Khabib is at, Conor is on the cage, takes a shot at him, hits him in the eye. He was blindsided, he blindsided him. Hits him in the eye, now they’re starting to fight. And so now his cousin gets fined one year for getting punched in the face and only fighting back. Okay, so now you’re fining him a year, $25,000 – which is still ridiculous compared how much they’re making.

“Number two, Zubaira, he’s walking around looking from side to side, looking what’s going on. Conor swings at him cause Conor feels threatened. And I’m not blaming Conor for anything, cause he’s trying to protect his boys too, but then he swings at Zubaira and Zubaira gets fined for a year.”

The consistency of the punishments is a little lacking. After all, Nurmagomedov was the one who incited the brawl and somehow received a lesser suspension than his two teammates. A cynical person might make some assumptions about why the NAC gave Khabib an opportunity to come off suspension at the same time as McGregor. Of course, that doesn’t matter now as Nurmagomedov has stated he will not fight in Nevada again and that he intends to sit out in solidarity with his teammates for the duration of their suspensions. It’s a decision that has caught backlash from some in the MMA community but one Mendez fully supports, especially given the NAC’s hypocrisy.

“Khabib gets fined only nine months, plus if he does anti-bullying or whatever, he gets three months off so he can fight when Conor can fight,” Mendez said. “Okay, but now you’re telling the guy that was bullied two months out by verbally assaulting his family, his religion and his country that you need to do an anti-bulling slogan? F you! I ain’t doing nothing. And I support that one hundred percent. I’m not doing nothing for you.

“And to make my point one hundred percent clear, they stated they would like to do a thing where they can stop fighters from talking like that, like Conor did. Okay, so you acknowledge that Conor’s talking started this, but then you fine my guy $500,000, you fine his teammates a year and a bigger sum of money compared to what they make, but yet you think you’re doing something right? No, F’ them. Khabib’s right, 100 percent right. I stand right behind what he did. I would do it all over myself. Unfortunately for me, like I said, I love gambling, that sucks for me, but I stand by what he’s doing.”

Meanwhile, with Nurmagomedov in self-imposed exile until November, the UFC is moving forward with their lightweight division, with a rumored bout between Tony Ferguson and featherweight champion Max Holloway, reportedly in the works for an interim title sometime later this year. And if that does actually happen, Mendez says that’s perfectly fine with him, just so long as the UFC doesn’t try to strip Khabib.

“They have to do what’s gonna sell so if it’s an interim belt, then great,” Mendez said. “They’re not stripping Khabib so who cares? I don’t care. It’s an interim belt, it’s not the real thing. It’s an interest for fans, whatever. Khabib’s not being stripped. He’s not done anything that deserves being stripped. So yeah, let them do what they need to do to make their business grow.”