Luke Lewis, on an end-of-season NRL trip to the USA, has been inadvertently caught up in the UFC mess between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov yesterday.
The retiring second rower who has played over 300 NRL games and been involved in two winning premiership campaigns across a glittering career, told the Triple M Grill Team this morning how he was held up by the incident.
Following their main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nurmagomedov jumped over the cage to attack McGregor’s team, with both teams getting involved in the ensuing melee which has left a black eye on the sport.
Lewis said the incident spilt out into the crowd and he struggled to leave the arena.
“We got out alive, but I tell you what, we had to sit in our chairs for a good hour after it,” Lewis said.
“It was absolute mayhem. We were about 10 rows back from where it all happened and we couldn’t really believe what had just gone on, it was just crazy.
“It broke out in the crowd — and then on the other side of the stadium it broke out in the crowd (too). There was chairs getting thrown, it was just going crazy.
“We went downstairs to walk out and all through the back of the stadium there was fights through the hallways, into the bar area. There were glasses and bottles getting thrown.
“We went back and sat in our chairs for an extra half-hour until it cooled down. Absolutely crazy.”
While Nurmagomedov won the fight and title belt, it’s unclear whether suspensions and fines will follow for either fighter, with the incident currently being investigated by authorities.
Three members of Nurmagomedov’s team were arrested following the fight, but eventually released with McGregor and his team deciding not to push charges.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Completed another one of your "surveys" on rugby league followers Adam! For someone who has zero interest in rugby league ,you spend a lot of time bagging it, with such "indepth" knowledge and utilising various aliases to do so.. When Australia play Tonga shortly, I dare say more than .01% of rugby league fans will be watching it .In fact I suggest it will rate very well on TV. The Telegraph places any thing to do with rugby league in their papers regardless of how crazily insignificant, because ,wait for it.It sells papers.
peeeko
Roar Guru
you are a brilliant man
peeeko
Roar Guru
here is some news. you are a thief
Adam Elliott
Roar Rookie
Because simply people dont care. NRL finished a week ago. Rugby League doesnt exist till round 1 2019 for 99.99% of Rugby League followers
MondayQB
Roar Rookie
Agree. A retired rugby league player attending (in a private capacity) another sporting event is not sports news/opinion...perhaps one for the gossip pages?! But then the roar did live blog the WWE on Saturday...
Chui
Guest
Seriously Roar? This is an article? When does Phil Rothfield start? I'm out.
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
You're not wrong there Justin, it wasn't the most entertaining game. Lots of drop ball throughout the game, it felt like that first half lasted about 55 minutes, so many stoppages. Regardless it is a good result for rugby league. London have come a long way in the last few years in terms of junior development, I'm looking forward to seeing how they go next year.
Hoy
Roar Guru
I can see the headlines... actually exactly what they are here on the Roar... Far out... Roar, we come here to discuss sports in a forum atmosphere... There is NO need for sensationalist headlines here at all... He was at the event... not involved with it. Please be better than this. This drops you down to rag time newspaper levels, and you don't need to go there to get readers... you would be better off keeping integrity. Just my 2 cents.
Justin Kearney
Roar Rookie
Got up at 5am to watch London Toronto game. Bloody awful game!
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
But who would want to read about London beating Toronto for a place in the Super League, France vs Serbia in Belgrade or Turkey going on a dream-run at the Emerging Nations World Championship? Why read about the result of the PM's XIII vs PNG or discuss Daly Cherry-Evans' MOTM performance when you can talk about fans invading the field. Rugby league will always manage to find a headline when the focus should be where the action really is.
Major Bumsore
Guest
I would have thought , Munster getting a tap on the shoulder and Luke Keary getting a call up for the KANGAROOS would have been news , but apparently retired players on holiday are.