Former pound-for-pound kingpin Floyd Mayweather Jr. has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the post-fight melee between UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and former-Mayweather opponent Conor McGregor.
Mayweather, who captured World titles in five different weight divisions during a pristine 50-0 professional career, was last seen in action in September 2017 when facing off against Irish superstar McGregor in a heavily-hyped ‘boxing vs MMA’ prize-fight in Las Vegas.
McGregor’s return to the octagon this past weekend was his first bout since losing via tenth-round stoppage to Mayweather – however, the two-weight UFC champion’s return was an unsuccessful one, after he was mauled and pummelled into submission by grappling phenom Nurmagomedov.
Despite admitting he was none-too-familiar with the undefeated Russian, Mayweather spoke out against the post-fight brawl that erupted following Nurmagomedov’s fourth round stoppage.
In an interview with ITP Live, Mayweather stated:
“I’m not too familiar with the guy [Conor] McGregor was fighting, but I know the guy he was facing was undefeated.”
“McGregor is a tough competitor but McGregor’s opponent jumped out of the ring and was fighting people in the crowd so [that was] very unprofessional.”
After submitting McGregor in the fourth round, Nurmagomedov leapt over the octagon and attacked members of McGregor’s team – namely his jiu-jitsu coach Dillon Danis – before other members of his own team invaded the cage to attack McGregor himself.
Mayweather, who courted controversy throughout his nineteen year professional carer, referenced his bout with fellow-American Zab Judah in April 2006 when asked what he felt the punishment would be for Khabib.
The bout with Judah was blighted by a series of fouls from the New Yorker, including a vicious low blow that saw Mayweather’s uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather enter the ring and attempt to choke Judah. The actions sparked a mass brawl in the ring and the fight was delayed for several minutes – with Roger arrested and slapped with a ban from the sport and, in Floyd’s words “a huge, seven figure fine”.
“It’s going to be a huge fine I’m pretty sure because with my fight against Zab Judah, there was a crazy melee in the ring and a huge penalty – a huge fine. If I’m not mistaken, seven figures.” said Mayweather.
“Not to me, but could have been to Zab Judah or my uncle Roger or even Leonard Ellerbe, so I know when a guy’s jumping out of the cage into the audience and fighting different people, the fine is going to be crazy.”
With the fallout from UFC 229 still unfolding, it remains to be seen whether Nurmagomedov – or indeed McGregor – will face punishment from the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Nurmagomedov’s $2m purse has reportedly been withheld, but it is not yet known if he will be stripped of his title or given a ban from competition.