The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) announced Monday that it would be launching an investigation, with the help of the UFC, into several fights that broke out backstage before the scheduled UFC 279 news conference last Thursday.
UFC president Dana White ended up having to cancel the promotional event because of the skirmishes. «If the Nevada Athletic Commission determines that licensees acted improperly, we will initiate appropriate disciplinary action against all involved,» NSAC chairman Stephen J.
Cloobeck wrote in a statement. The catalyst for the altercations was a near brawl between UFC fighters Khamzat Chimaev and Kevin Holland.
The two were not even scheduled to fight each other at UFC 279, though that changed a day later. Before the news conference backstage at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Chimaev approached Holland aggressively, resulting in words exchanged and Holland pushing him away as people attempted to get between them, sources told ESPN.