NSAC Extends 'Great' Suspension
01/28/2025 02:27 PM
Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) suspended Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight Dennis Buzukja for trading blows with a mixed martial arts (MMA) fan at the UFC 310 pay-per-view (PPV) event last month in Las Vegas.
Regulators extended his temporary suspension on Tuesday and will reconvene next month for a disciplinary hearing, according to MMA Fighting, where "The Great" will face the consequences for his "Sin City" slugfest (watch the video here).
Buzukja insists he was trying to deescalate the situation, which started when the fan got physical with UFC bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili. "The Machine" was at UFC 310 to corner longtime friend and teammate, Aljamain Sterling.
"I went and approached him and I just put his hand down, I was trying to deescalate and tell him, 'Yo, calm down, bro. Relax,'" Buzukja said after the event. "Merab was going away, I just wanted to tell him to relax, have some respect. Then he cracked me first, actually, he cracked me with a nice little left hook and then it was just instinct to hit him back. Then security came in, but part of me is like, 'Should I just drop the bucket and just jump over and start swinging?' Just go full, f*cking degenerate, but I'm glad it didn't happen that way."
Buzukja, 27, went 1-1 on Dana White's "Contender Series" before earning a UFC contract in summer 2023. In four trips to the cage, "The Great" has failed to live up to his nickname, posting a 1-3 record in just over 12 months with the promotion.
Blame those "Dagestani tricks and provocation."
