UFC star Khamzat Chimaev's role in the backstage melee which forced the cancelation of last Thursday's UFC 279 press conference in Las Vegas is being probed by the Nevada Athletic Commission, the regulatory body which oversees combat sports in the state.
Per reports from the scene, Chimaev became involved in an altercation with UFC fighter Kevin Holland, and soon after with Nate Diaz and his entourage in heated incidents which drew the ire of UFC boss Dana White and which prompted him to call off the media event at the last moment.
Chimaev would ultimately miss weight for the Diaz bout and was placed into a short notice fight with Holland, whom he submitted in the first round of their hastily-arranged co-main event late on Saturday night.
“It was ... crazy, I don't even know what to call it ... Twenty-two years, however long I've been doing this, we've never had an incident like today,” White told the media soon after the fracas.
"All hell broke loose. We stopped it but we didn't do a good job of not letting it happen. I don't know what went on here. It's never happened before and we'll be ready for it the next time.
“It wasn't just one thing that erupted and happened. There were multiple things going on at the same time. ... Once it all just started erupting, it was a complete s**tshow.”
White's anger at the incident was apparently matched by the Nevada Commission, who wrote in a Monday statement that they are investigating the incident and said that the guilty parties may have exposed themselves to “civil and criminal liability.”
“Nevada State Athletic Commission Chairman Stephen J. Cloobeck, and Executive Director Jeff Mullen are aware that the UFC Press Conference on Thursday, September 8, 2022, was canceled midway through the event,” they wrote.
“Early reports indicate that an altercation took place prior to and during the press conference, and possibly involved licensed fighters and their associates.
“The Chairman has been in communications with UFC executives regarding the events of September 8. At this time, the UFC is working with the Nevada Athletic Commission on a full investigation into this incident. If the Nevada Athletic Commission determines that licensees acted improperly, we will initiate appropriate disciplinary action against all involved.
“Although 'trash talking' between competitive athletes is common, any escalation into physical altercations may discredit the sport of unarmed combat and is wholly unacceptable. Further, such behavior may expose participants to both civil and criminal liability. The Nevada Athletic Commission will act strongly and decisively to safeguard and elevate unarmed combat in Nevada.
“The Nevada Athletic Commission will strictly discipline all licensees for all incidents of physical violence between athletes outside the ring or cage, up to and including purse forfeiture, revocation or suspension of any current license, denial of applications for new applicants, or denying future license renewals.”
The Nevada Commission has previously handed out punishments to UFC fighters who have become involved in similar incidents in the past.
In 2014 they ordered Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier to undertake community service for their brawl at a UFC 178 press event, while they took similar measures to punish those involved in the post-fight melee which marred the aftermath of the Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor fight in 2018.