While admitting that his own fighter kicked off a brawl backstage that led to the cancellation of the UFC 279 press conference on Thursday, AllStars Training Center owner Andreas Michael has called on all parties involved to behave like sportsmen.
Michael coaches Khamzat Chimaev, who along with Kevin Holland was fingered as an instigator of the melee that erupted backstage at the T-Mobile Arena Thursday night. By the time the smoke had settled, only Holland and Daniel Rodriguez were actually brought out to speak at the presser. With the commotion ongoing backstage, UFC President Dana White pulled the plug on the press conference.
Speaking on Instagram Live, Michael revealed that Chimaev had kicked Holland backstage.
“What happened was that Khmazat went inside, and he was like by himself. Then he started with Kevin Holland, and gave him like a boot in the chest. Then they started their ruckus, whatever they’re doing. Then the Diaz crew came in, and they started doing what they’re doing. But nobody got injured, thank God.”
Michael then called on all parties to behave like sportsmen. “We’re here to fight in the cage, not in the streets, like 50 to 1 type of things like that. Sportsmen, sportsmen, that’s what we are, sportsman. So let’s f*cking be sportsmen, and stop all this sh*t. On Saturday we’ve got a fight coming up, and that’s the most important thing. So that’s about it,” stated Michael, adding “the truth must be spoken.”
The AllStars coach also downplayed the idea of Kevin Holland landing a fight after the incident.
“We’re not here to fight anyone. And no Kevin is not going to get a fight with Khamzat. Forget about that. All this goading and all these things, it doesn’t work. The same with Paulo [Costa], they’re not going to get a fight, you understand? That’s about it. We’re going to fight against the champs and the guys that are over us, not under us. Finished. Done. That’s how it is. We climb. We don’t regress, we progress.”
UFC President Dana White confirmed to media outlets including Cageside Press on Thursday that the fights would go on, and no one would be fined for the incident. Chimaev meets Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 279 this Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
