LAS VEGAS – Thursday’s UFC 279 press conference at the MGM Grand Garden Arena has been called off after several backstage brawls erupted between the fighters on the card and their teams.
UFC President Dana White tried to keep the press conference going by pitching the six fighters separately into two, per fight. but then Kevin Holland And the Daniel Rodriguez Speaking to reporters and fans in attendance about their pay-per-view card battle, White canceled the event altogether.
In a press release following the cancellation, White said the skirmishes had begun Shemaev’s puns and Holland, who are not fighting each other on Saturday night at UFC 279. Neither fighter sought medical attention, and according to White, none of the scheduled fights on the card were in danger.
“It was a complete show,” White said.
Shemayev and Holland have been going back and forth on social media and in interviews for months.
Sources told ESPN that Chemayev approached backstage for the Netherlands ahead of Thursday’s press conference, leading to some scrambling and people trying to separate the two before Chemayev hit him with a forehand kick. Chemayev pulled away Li Jingliangwho fights Tony Ferguson On Saturday, a former fighter and mixed martial arts agent Tiki Ghosn, as well as security. White said it was good that Ghosn was there to help. The sources said that the Netherlands then pursued a chase after their separation.
Nate Diaz He faces Chemayev in the main event of UFC 279. When members of Diaz’s team saw Ghosn with Shemayev, they thought Ghosn was part of Chemayev’s team and started yelling at him, according to sources. Sources said that some members of Diaz’s team threw water bottles at Ghosn and Shemayev’s team.
According to White, Ghosn was hit in the head by some water bottles and received some slaps and kicks.
“If it wasn’t for Tiki, we’d be in big trouble,” White said. “Tiki took a couple for the team and he wasn’t on the team.”
White said that going forward, press conferences will be more secure and that the UFC will be better prepared Friday for overweight and Saturday night. No one will be disciplined, White said.
“That’s what we do,” White said. “This is the business we’re in. This is combat action. These things happen. What we do is look at how that happened today – why weren’t we ready for it? Why couldn’t we manage this backstage better than we did? And we’ll be better.” Next time we hold a press conference. That won’t happen to us again.”
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