Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight Dennis Buzukja blew a gasket at the UFC 310 pay-per-view (PPV) event last Dec. in Las Vegas, throwing hands with a mixed martial arts (MMA) fan who was taunting bantamweight titleholder Merab Dvalishvili. Both combatants were heading backstage after cornering teammate Aljamain Sterling.
Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) handed down its punishment on Weds., slapping Buzukja with a $2,500 fine and nine-month suspension, which includes $157.04 in attorney fees. “The Great” will be eligible to return on Sept. 6; however, Buzukja can reduce his suspension to six months by competing community service in the state of Nevada.
“I don’t go for this,” commission chairman Dallas Haun said (via MMA Fighting). “Someone taking a swing at the crowd. We can’t have this. I know we have a precedent, the fact that he’s not on the phone, hasn’t shown up, this is his one chance with us. Anything more like this and he won’t be in Nevada ever again. Swinging in the crowd is unacceptable. We cannot have it.”
Buzukja no-showed his NSAC hearing.
“Our No. 1 priority here is the safety of the fighters and right behind that is the safety of the fans,” Haun continued. “I think going forward, while we’ve set precedent, I want us to take a good hard look at it if this happens again The nine month [suspension], the six months, the community service, luckily no one was hurt. But tragically someone may be hurt so I want the commission and executive director [Jeff] Mullen for us to review how we look at this thing going forward. We may set precedent aside. We can’t have that.”
Buzukja, 27, represents the second UFC fighter in 2024 to brawl with MMA fans during a live event. The former Bellator bruiser 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.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
