The Nevada State Athletic Commission fined Max Holloway, Paddy Pimblett and Gable Steveson $2,500 each on Wednesday, in an effort to stop athletes from jumping out of the UFC Octagon in Las Vegas.
All three fighters left the Octagon immediately after defeating their opponents at UFC 329 on July 11 inside T-Mobile Arena. Holloway defeated Conor McGregor in the main event, after McGregor blew out his right knee in the opening seconds of the bout. Holloway left the Octagon before the result was read to embrace his immediate family sitting cageside.
During its monthly meeting, NSAC members did not seek any suspensions of the athletes and the fine amounts are relatively small -- the commission felt it was necessary, however, to halt a potential trend. Chairman Dallas Haun referenced an infamous incident in 2018, when Khabib Nurmagomedov attacked McGregor's corner immediately after defeating him at UFC 229.
"We had close to 10 minutes of complete chaos," Haun said during deliberations. "When it was over, the police holding cells in the back of T-Mobile Arena were full of people handcuffed, laying on their stomachs. In the city of Las Vegas, we want our guests to have a good time, but we also want them to be safe.
"[Fighters] are jumping over the cage to shake [UFC CEO] Dana White's hand. We appreciate the difference. Someone from the crowd behind Dana screaming something could change that in an instant."
The NSAC intends to encourage the UFC to help convey its message on out-of-the-cage celebrations to its athletes. This is not the first time the commission has fined a UFC fighter for leaving the Octagon before a fight's result is announced.
