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MMA, also known as the fight game, is as real as it gets. In a sport where the objective is to hurt your opponent until they can't take it anymore, there is bound to be some animosity between the guys slogging it out inside the cage.
Having said that, we are also talking about professional fighters of the highest caliber who leave it all inside the cage but respect their colleagues outside of it. But sometimes, fighters don't stop after the bell. Bad blood in MMA is for real and it often ends up in violent conduct by fighters even after the official bout is over.
While it is understandable that adrenaline and emotions are at an all-time high during a fight, such violent conduct by fighters following fights paints a negative image of the sport. At the end of the day, MMA is all about respect, but if the fighters who represent the sport engage in violent conduct outside the cage, they send out the wrong message.
At the recently concluded BKFC 18, Hector Lombard landed post-fight punches on a potential future opponent following his title fight against Joe Riggs. After Lombard won the fight, Lorenzo Hunt stepped into the ring to confront the new champion. When he did, Lombard immediately threw a two-punch combination at Hunt. The fighters had to be separated by security in the end.
In this article, we look at some instances when MMA fighters plunged into violence even after the fight was over.
#5. When Conor McGregor went after referee Marc Goddard at a Bellator MMA event
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor is no stranger to controversy. In 2017, McGregor was present cageside to watch his teammate Charlie Ward take on James Redmond at Bellator 187. With seconds left in the first round, Ward viciously TKO'ed his opponent to grab the win.
Following the fight, however, all hell broke loose. McGregor jumped inside the cage to celebrate with Ward and referee Marc Goddard tried to separate the pair. This drew the ire of the Irishman. An irate McGregor took matters into his own hands, trying to have a go at the referee.
McGregor was then led out of the cage but he created a ruckus once more by slapping a commissioner who tried to stop him from getting back into the cage. Following the incident, the UFC apparently shelved plans for McGregor's return to MMA at UFC 219. He returned later in 2018, at UFC 229 and challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title.
#4. Three-piece with the soda
On March 16, 2019, MMA veteran Jorge Masvidal spectacularly knocked out British fighter Darren Till in front of a packed O2 Arena in London. That night marked the resurrection of 'Gamebred' but not just because of the win against Till. After the fight, Masvidal was being interviewed backstage by ESPN journalist Laura Sanko when Leon Edwards suddenly called him out.
Masvidal calmly walked up to the MMA fighter and all of a sudden unleashed a vicious combination that caught Edwards on the money, sparking a backstage brawl. Masvidal famously said he gave Edwards the "three-piece with a soda".
Ever since then, MMA fans have been craving to see a grudge match between Masvidal and Edwards. But to their disappointment, the fight is yet to come to fruition.
#3. Jorge Masvidal's "super necesssary" punches on Ben Askren after their MMA clash
Masvidal is known for his slick striking skills as well as his notoriety both inside and outside the octagon. At UFC 239, Masvidal took on former ONE Championship welterweight titleholder Ben Askren. Both fighters got involved in heated verbal exchanges in the build-up to the MMA fight and the bad blood between the men was very evident.
When the cage door shut behind them, Jorge Masvidal shocked the entire world by landing a thunderous flying knee on Askren inside five seconds of the very first round. The flying knee knocked Askren out cold and he fell onto the canvas, stiff as a board.
However, Masvidal wasn't satisfied. As Askren crashed onto the canvas, clearly unconscious, Masvidal pounced on him to land a couple of brutal ground and pound strikes before the referee could step in. Gamebred also disrespected his fallen opponent by imitating the manner in which Askren got knocked out inside the octagon.
Masvidal was later asked why he inflicted further damage on Askren, knowing he was already out cold from the lying knee. Masvidal responded by saying that those punches were "super necessary".
#2. The infamous brawl between MMA fighters Jason 'Mayhem' Miller and Jake Shields involving the Diaz brothers
Strikeforce: Nashville was supposed to be a standard MMA event like any other. But the post-fight brawl that ensued following the main event will always be seen as one of the darkest days in the sport's history.
In 2010, Jake Shields defeated Dan Henderson to retain his middleweight title in the main event. During Shields' post-fight interview, Jason Miller entered the cage out of nowhere and interrupted the former. Miller asked the champion for a rematch, asking, "What's up? "Where's my rematch, buddy?!"
That was the only invitation Shields' teammates Gilbert Melendez and Nick Diaz needed. The two threw punches at Miller and a massive brawl ensued. While Shields' coach managed to pull him away, the Diaz brothers ensured that a full-blown brawl took place in the chaotic aftermath of the event.
Multiple people were seen throwing punches, elbows, and kicks amid the chaos. The brawl was eventually broken up by members of the commission and referees. But that wasn't before announcer Gus Johnson infamously made one of the most controversial statements in MMA history.
"Ladies and gentlemen, sometimes these things happen in MMA," said Johnson as the fighters tried to tear each other apart inside the cage.
#1. The chaotic aftermath of UFC 229
This one needs no introduction. After Khabib Nurmagomedov successfully defended the UFC lightweight title against arch-rival Conor McGregor at UFC 229, what followed next was utter chaos.
In the build-up to the fight, Conor McGregor insulted Nurmagomedov's religion, his parents, teammates and his wife. The Russian took it personally and once he won the fight, the bad blood spilled over. Without wasting time, Khabib infamously climbed atop the cage and leaped onto McGregor's entire coaching team.
Nurmagomedov's teammates sneaked inside the octagon and sucker-punched McGregor, who was recovering from the beating he took at the hands of The Eagle during the fight. Things got so bad that Nurmagomedov wasn't even officially crowned champion on the night. The title wasn't put around his waist although Nurmagomedov was announced the winner.
Khabib later apologized for his actions and said he was overwhelmed with emotion because of McGregor's insults in the build-up to the fight.
