Khabib Nurmagomedov and Artem Lobov Get Into Heated Altercation Ahead of UFC 223

Just days away from UFC 223, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Artem Lobov nearly got the event started early after the two Russian born fighters engaged in a heated altercation at the host hotel in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The action was all caught on camera by coach Rick Little, who is cornering Michael Chiesa this weekend for his fight against Anthony Pettis.

It’s not clear what started the ruckus but clearly Lobov and Nurmagomedov were jawing at each other with several other fighters surrounding them as the UFC’s public relations team kept a close eye on the situation to make sure it didn’t boil over.

Eventually, Lobov was pulled away with Nurmagomedov and his team still shouting at him after the incident came to an end.

Of course it’s no secret that Nurmagomedov has a long standing grudge against UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, who is a close friend and teammate to Lobov at SBG in Ireland. Whether or not that had something to do with the altercation on Tuesday is unknown.