There’s a price to pay for scaling the octagon fence during UFC events.
Max Holloway, Paddy Pimblett and Gable Steveson got a financial reminder Wednesday, Aug. 26.
Each fighter was fined $2,500 for violating the rule prohibiting fighters from climbing the fence, the Nevada State Athletic Commission ruled at its monthy meeting, a commission representative told USA TODAY Sports.
Advertisement
All three fighters committed the infraction after winning fights during UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The money was withheld from their purses.
Holloway scaled the fence after he beat Conor McGregor by TKO when McGregor injured his knee in his much-anticipated comeback fight. The bout was stopped 69 seconds after it started with McGregor falling three times.
Pimblett scaled the fence after he beat Benoit Saint-Denis by submission 52 seconds into their bout.
Steveson apparently scaled the fence after his first-round knockout victory over Elisha Ellison.
Michael Bisping, the former UFC champion, on his YouTube page said of the prohibition on scaling the fence, “this really is the dumbest rule in all of mixed martial sports.”
Advertisement
Bisping also said he did it after winning the UFC middleweight title with a first-round knockout of Luke Rockhold in 2016 at UFC 199 in California. He indicated he was not fined.
“A lot of fighters jump on top of the cage,” Bisping said. “It’s one of the best bits. You want to celebrate, you’ve just won in front of 20,000 people, in front of millions of people watching all over the world.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UFC fighters fined for climbing octagon fence after victories
