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UFC fighter suspended by Nevada State Athletic Commission for striking fan

The altercation occurred while the fighter was heading back to the locker room at T-Mobile Arena.
Drew Beaupre|
Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has officially handed a suspension to a fighter for his altercation with a fan during UFC 310.

Viral Altercation at UFC 310

Headlined by a flyweight title bout between Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura, UFC 310 took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV on December 7 and featured a number of former champions and title challengers outside of the card’s main event.

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One of the night’s most highly-anticipated fights was a featherweight matchup between the undefeated Movsar Evloev and former UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling, who was competing at featherweight for the second time after debuting in the weight class against Calvin Kattar at UFC 300.

Aljamain Sterling reacts after defeating Calvin Kattar during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena.
Aljamain Sterling reacts after defeating Calvin Kattar during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Evloev extended his unbeaten record with a unanimous decision victory over “Funk Master”, and while the fight was an entertaining one it was a viral altercation between Sterling’s corner man Dennis Buzukja (along with current UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili) and a fan that made major headlines after things concluded.

Movsar Evloev fights Aljamain Sterling at T-Mobile Arena.
Movsar Evloev fights Aljamain Sterling at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Dennis Buzukja Officially Suspended By NSAC

A member of the UFC roster since 2023, Buzukja was initially handed a temporary suspension for striking the crowd member following the commission’s monthly hearing in January.

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According to Damon Martin, “The Great” has now been given a suspension of nine months for the incident and can potentially have that reduced to six months with community service.

Martin’s report also notes that the NSAC takes altercations between fans and fighters very seriously, and if Buzukja were to be involved in a similar incident in the future it could result in a lifetime ban in the state of Nevada.

A two-time veteran of Dana White’s Contender Series, Buzukja’s decision-win against Kaleio Romero in 2022 wasn’t enough to earn a UFC contract, but the 27-year-old followed that showing with another three victories before debuting in the UFC against Sean Woodson in 2023.

Dennis Buzukja fights Connor Matthews during a UFC Fight Night at Boardwalk Hall.
Dennis Buzukja fights Connor Matthews during a UFC Fight Night at Boardwalk Hall. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Buzukja missed weight for his promotional debut and lost a decision to Woodson before he was stopped by Jamall Emmers in his sophomore outing three months later. “The Great” finished Connor Matthews last March for his first UFC victory, but he most recently came up short against Francis Marshall in August to bring his overall record in the promotion to 1-3.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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