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Khabib Nurmagomedov prepares to jump the fence and attack Conor McGregor’d corner during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor by submission then attacked McGregor’s team. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Conor McGregor is taken to the locker room after being defeated by Khabib Nurmagomedov during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov is lead away from Conor McGregor’d corner during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor by submission then attacked McGregor’s team. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov jumps over the cage to attack Conor McGregor’d corner UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor by submission then attacked McGregor’s team. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Conor McGregor, right, punches Khabib Nurmagomedov during a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/John Locher)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov, red, chokes Conor McGregor to win via submission during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor to retain the title during UFC 229 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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LAS VEGAS — UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov mauled Conor McGregor for the majority of four rounds before earning the submission victory Saturday night at UFC 229, but the real drama at T-Mobile Arena came after the fight.
Nurmagomedov leaped the cage shortly after McGregor tapped out in order to attack McGregor’s cornermen. A wild melee ensued for several minutes, with security trying to sort out the mess.
People began jumping the barrier to enter the fray as Nurmagomedov was led away.
Nurmagomedov eventually returned to the Octagon. Even after calm was restored, the champion continued to rage despite the efforts of his American Kickboxing Academy teammates, UFC double champion Daniel Cormier and former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, to calm him down.
Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer, several minutes later, read the official decision: Nurmagomedov (27-0) had defeated McGregor (21-4) via submission by rear-naked choke at 3:03 of the fourth round.
That did little to satisfy the fans, who booed the decision and seemed to not know what to do. There were no postfight interviews and no analysis.
The brawl marred a fantastic fight, one billed as the biggest in UFC history. UFC President Dana White said it was trending toward a UFC-record 2 million pay-per-view buys.
Nurmagomedov dominated most of it, recording the one knockdown with a stiff right that floored McGregor early in the second round.
All three judges had the fight scored 29-27 for Nurmagomedov after three rounds: 10-9 for Nurmagomedov in the first, 10-8 for Nurmagomedov in the second, and 10-9 for McGregor in the third.
McGregor did land some shots Saturday night, but the champ pretty much took every one and walked through them.
After each round, Nurmagomedov would trash-talk the former two-division champion. The hostility grew to the unfortunate postfight brawl, from which fines can be expected.
Nurmagomedov made $2 million for the fight to $3 million for McGregor.
McGregor tested Nurmagomedov’s chin early connecting with a glancing left. McGregor continued on the prowl, but Nurmagomedov quickly shot in for a single-leg takedown. McGregor did his best to fight it off, but the Dagestan champ eventually got him down and against the cage.
The rest of the first round stayed there, Nurmagomedov smothering McGregor with occasional strikes, McGregor’s fans booing their disapproval.
Nurmagomedov opened the second round by dropping McGregor with a crisp right across the jaw. McGregor backed up before falling. Nurmagomedov aggressively came at him with a flying knee and whiffed. McGregor got in some shots before Nurmagomedov grabbed him and took him down in essentially a replay of the first round.
McGregor did a better job in the third, landing right jabs, left hooks and well-timed uppercuts. What’s more, he twice turned away takedown attempts.
The pressure and physicality from Nurmagomedov by then had taken a toll on McGregor. As the horn sounded to end the third, Nurmagomedov taunted McGregor, who said nothing and returned to his corner.
The fourth round commenced with McGregor looking fatigued and hoping to land a big left. Nurmagomedov again took him down, only to have McGregor rise, much to the crowd’s delight. That was short-lived when Nurmagomedov not only held on, but dragged the Irishman down again. This time, McGregor turned and tried to get to his feet again.
Nurmagomedov quickly took McGregor’s back and attacked the neck, appearing to secure a neck crank before squeezing and getting the rear-naked choke.