Conor McGregor expressed his gratitude on how the settlement with the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) went Tuesday. McGregor received a six –month suspension and a $50-thousand-dollar fine for the melee that ensued after UFC 229 when he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov received a $500-thousand dollar fine and a nine-month suspension for his involvement in the incident.
I am thankful for the Nevada athletic commissions fair assessment and handling of the brawl incident.
It was not my intention to land the final blow of the night on my opponent’s blood relative. It’s just how it played out.
I look forward to competing again soon.
Thank you all.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) January 30, 2019
While thanking the NAC on social media, McGregor said, he did not intend to land “the final blow of the night” at UFC 229 but “that’s just how it played out.” Whether or not the comment was intended as a slight to Team Nurmagomedov or not is up for debate, but shortly after expressing his gratitude he posted photos with a description of how he threw that last blow.
Straight left hand inside the attackers jab.
He attempted to use the big security guard that’s in all the movies as cover, but I could smell him a mile away and landed flush down the pipe.
The final blow of the night UFC 229 in association with McGregor Sports and Entertainment. pic.twitter.com/h4GO46oX3a— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) January 30, 2019
McGregor’s suspension is retroactive allowing him to return as soon as April. His loss to Nurmagomedov was clear and without controversy during the fight so potential opponents for him outside of Nurmagomedov include, Tony Ferguson, Al Iaquinta, and Donald Cerrone. Any of those fights could make for a headlining event, especially with Nurmagomedov expressing that not only will he not fight in Nevada again, but also not until the Fall.
When Cerrone defeated Alex Hernandez at the first UFC card under the ESPN banner in Brooklyn, it seems like he and McGregor have already agreed to face one another in the near future. The win was not only Cerrone’s return to the lightweight division but it put him back in the top ten of the UFC’s lightweight rankings. The combination of Cerrone’s fan base along with McGregor’s would make for a huge draw for a future pay-per-view event.
By now, fans know and expect interim title fights in the UFC and having the current lightweight champion possibly sitting longer for his suspension could make for another interim title booking. If they do, chances are high McGregor’s name will be a part of that announcement if the UFC goes that route.
Who would you like to see McGregor face when he returns?
