Shortly after Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Conor McGregor by fourth-round submission at UFC 229, he leapt over the side of the cage and attacked McGregor’s training partner Dillon Danis. In the subsequent moments, McGregor got into it with a pair of Nurmagomedov’s teammates inside the cage. Heavyweight MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko, who battles Ryan Bader for the Bellator heavyweight belt this Saturday, was not impressed by this chaotic scene.
Speaking ahead of his fight with Bader, Fedor Emelianenko addressed this controversial moment.
“I had a heavy impression after what I saw,” Emelianenko said (transcript via RT). ““It must have been an emotional response to what happened.”
“A professional should remain a professional, and not vent their emotions outside the cage,” he added.
The Last Emperor has spoken.
Fedor Emelianenko will enter his fight with Ryan Bader on a two-fight streak, having recently delivered first-round knockouts of former UFC stars Frank Mir and Chael Sonnen. These victories were preceded by a knockout loss to Matt Mitrione. His fight with Bader will air on DAZN.
Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov are currently awaiting discipline from the Nevada State Athletic Commission as a result of their infamous UFC 229 brawl. Their hearing is scheduled for January 29. Fines and suspensions both seem likely.
What do you think of this comment from the great Fedor Emelianenko?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 1/24/2019.