“As He’s on Top of the Octagon”: Ex UFC Champ Recalls Infamous Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov Brawl Following “Out of Control” Chaos at UFC 288

In a stunning upset at UFC 288, Aljamain Sterling disrupted the highly anticipated comeback of former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion, Henry Cejudo. The reigning bantamweight champion successfully defended his belt against ‘Triple C’ in a split decision win; hence settling the long-debated question of the best 135-pounder in the world. This victory marked Sterling‘s 9th consecutive win, cementing his place as one of the most dominant fighters in the sport. However, the post-fight drama was just as intense as the fight itself. And this heated moment reminded UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier of the brawl between his good friend Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor.

Sean O’Malley, who had been promised the next title shot, entered the cage to face off against Sterling. The 28-year-old donned a Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ themed red jacket, which he handed off to Sterling‘s training partner Merab Dvalishvili. ‘The Machine’ proceeded to put on the jacket and celebrate his good friend’s win by parading around the octagon. And things quickly took a turn for the worse from there on.

Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s brawl gets back in limelight

Daniel Cormier recently addressed the chaotic events that took place at UFC 288. While discussing the incident, the former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion drew parallels to the controversial brawl between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 with the incident that took place between Sean O’Malley, Aljamain Sterling, and Merab Dvalishvili; noting the similarities between the two incidents.

“As he’s [Merab Dvalishvili] on top of the octagon, O’Malley goes back towards him like he wants to fight him. So then, all hell breaks loose.”, DC said.

He further added, “Kind of reminds me of when Khabib got into that fight [at UFC 229]. Reminds me of Nate Diaz and Nick Diaz back in the day with Jake Shields and Mayhem Miller all the way back in the Strikeforce. I thought he was gonna get out of control.”

Read more: “Ahaha OMG” – Conor McGregor Goes Berserk After “Stripper” Henry Cejudo Led to Retirement Scare Post Aljamain Sterling Loss at UFC 288

While brawls certainly make for a good build-up to the next fight, they can also get ugly and lead to serious consequences. The chaos that unfolded after Sterling‘s victory over Cejudo was certainly entertaining, but made for quite a dramatic moment.

What are your thoughts on the chaos that erupted at UFC 288? Let us know in the comments below.

Watch this story: Conor McGregor Responds to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s GOAT List