Vladimir Putin said there was "hell to pay" after Khabib's brawl with Conor McGregor

dailystar.co.uk:

Khabib Nurmagomedov on his victory over Conor McGregor in UFC 229 - and even said he sympathised with the fighter over how he behaved at the end of the bout.After his win in 2018, Nurmagomedov leaped from the octagon and had a brawl with one of McGregor’s trainers , while several other men, believed to be members of Nurmagomedov’s entourage, attacked McGregor.But Putin said that he was OK with the actions of the now-retired fighter, who he claimed was acting in retaliation for McGregor's words about his father, country and religion.“Anyone could have jumped [out of the octagon] in the same way,” said Putin.“If we are attacked from the outside, not only you, we could all jump in such a way … there could be hell to pay.” Putin continued saying that “it’s better not to reach that stage".Nurmagomedov apologised for his actions and said to Putin when they met his father and trainer, the recently-deceased Abdulmanap, would likely “smash me when I get home”.“I will ask your father not to punish you too strictly, because you achieved the main task, worthily and convincingly,” Putin responded.The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended UFC fighters Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor in a unanimous vote Tuesday for their involvement in a brawl after their lightweight championship bout at UFC 229 in October.Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news?Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star football email newsletter!From the latest transfer news to the agenda-setting stories, get it all in your email inbox - don't miss a thing.It only takes a matter of seconds.Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit 'subscribe'.And that's it, job done.