Since the post-fight brawl at UFC 229, there’s been plenty of speculation and debate as to whether Khabib Nurmagomedov could be stripped of the lightweight belt. But, more recently Dana White has dismissed that as an option.
It remains to be seen what the Nevada Commission will do, in terms of sanctioning Nurmagomedov, due to his role in the Saturday’s ugly incident. The commission can’t strip Nurmagomedov of the belt, but they could suspend Khabib for an extended period of time.
Well, recently White spoke with TMZ Sports, and while discussing what might happen to Khabib, the UFC President said this (quote via MMA Mania):
“He absolutely keeps his title,” White said. “And he’s going to get suspended, so maybe you give him a four-to-six month suspension. We have to see how this stuff plays out with Khabib and what’s next. Tony Ferguson looked amazing that night, that fight was incredible, so we’ll see what happens.”
Now, if Khabib is handed say, a year long suspension (which seems unlikely), then maybe the UFC will strip him of the belt. But, so far, it looks like “The Eagle” is going to remain the champ.