Opinion: What Is Too Far Within the Boundaries of the World’s Most Barbaric Sport?

Yesterday’s UFC 229 will go down as the most controversial card in the sport’s history. After a chaotic lead up to the card’s main event of Khabib v McGregor, everything turned ugly after Khabib forced Connor McGregor into submission at the 3.03 minute mark of the 4th round.

Before he even had a chance to begin celebrating his victory, Khabib launched himself out of the octagon and jumped into the crowd feet-first towards a member of the crowd in the second row. This member of the crowd was Conner McGregor’s training partner, Dillon Danis.

Seconds later, whilst McGregor was recovering from being choked out, he was attacked by three members of Khabib’s team who had snuck into the octagon amidst the chaos.

As McGregor tried to escape the octagon to join the carnage outside, he was attacked by a Khabib team member who was wearing the head piece made famous by Russia’s most lethal UFC weapon. As this was broken up a second man came and attempted to engage McGregor from front on whilst another came in with a coward punch from behind.

In a post match interview it was easy to see that UFC President, Dana White, seemed visibly distraught.

“I don’t even know what to say right now, I’m just disgusted and sick over it”, White said.

With the dust yet to settle on the controversial events from yesterday, there will be many questions asked and most likely fewer punishments handed down.

Questions circulating include;

• Were Khabib’s actions a stain on the sport that could warrant him being stripped of his title?
• Was Dana White’s post fight outrage real or fake? He willingly used footage of McGregor’s attack of Khabib’s bus in the lead up to the fight as advertisement for the fight.
• Will he strip Khabib of his title?
• Were Khabib’s actions justified after the way had been attacked with a trolley by McGregor in Brooklyn? McGregor, as always, seemed to go too far by also trash talking Khabib’s family, nationality and religion. He also spouted a strange conspiracy theory linking Khabib’s manager to 9/11 attacks. After all this was Khabib within his rights to blow off steam?

One thing that is certain is that a rematch between these fighters will attract huge interest and even bigger money.

Will White and the UFC come down hard with fines, suspensions and even title nullifications? Or will he rub his hands together and use it all to promote another bout between these two polarising figures?

Do morals and standards exist in this sport?

Earlier on the card we saw Derrick ‘The Black Beast’ Lewis brutally knockout young up and coming Russian Alexander Volkov with some sickening ground blows to the face.

The fight before the main event, Tony Ferguson and Anthony Pettis put on the best fight of the card. Ferguson finished the bout in the dying stages of the 2nd round with a punch that forced Pettis’ legs to buckle beneath him. At the beginning of the round both men faced each other with the look of pure determination as blood streamed down both faces. In classic UFC theatre this ensured the main event took place on a blood stained canvass.

Are there any standards and morals in the world’s most barbaric sport or is it all apart of the hype and appeal for people who watch and pay that love the blood and carnage?

By Dustin Spriggs

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