Discipline For Conor McGregor?, Anderson Silva Fails Drug Test, Jose Aldo Added To UFC 218

- Yesterday we reported on Conor McGregor's altercation with referee Marc Goddard at Bellator 187. After Charlie Ward finished John Redmond in the first round, McGregor jumped the cage fence immediately to celebrate with his teammate. Goddard asked McGregor to leave the cage, as he wasn't a licensed cornerman. McGregor ran after Goddard and pushed him, and he also got physical with the athletics commission officials, in the video that can be seen above. Mike Mazzulli, the president of the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) and the director of the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation, released a statement on the incident (H/T to MMA Fighting):

While the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation (MTDAR) was regulating Bellator 187 in Dublin, Ireland, on November 10, 2017, the following events took place during the Ward vs Redmond bout.

Mr. Conor McGregor who was a spectator at the time, disrupted the event by scaling the cage prior to the conclusion of the bout. Mr. McGregor's conduct jeopardized the health and safety of the bout participants by delaying necessary medical attention to the fighters that were injured during the round.

In addition, Mr. McGregor assaulted Referee Mark Goddard and a Bellator staff.

The MTDAR has been in consultation with the upper management of the UFC regarding Mr. McGregor's inappropriate and unacceptable behavior.

The MTDAR has also contacted members of the Association of Boxing Commissioners that have licensed Mr. McGregor in their jurisdictions to inform them of Mr. McGregor's behavior.

According to MMA Fighting, Mazzulli said any discipline or sanctions would have to come from a commission that licenses McGregor. The UFC has yet to address the incident.

- Anderson Silva has been removed from his main event fight against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Shanghai on Nov. 25 after failing a USADA out-of-competition drug test. The positive drug test is from a sample collected on Oct. 26. This isn't the first time Silva has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, as he failed a drug test for steroids in an in-competition test when he fought Nick Diaz at UFC 183 in January 2015. That test occurred before the UFC's partnership with USADA, so he was suspended for one year by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Silva is currently provisionally suspended and faces a full suspension from USADA once the review process is completed, though it's not yet clear the length of time he will be out for. The UFC released a statement saying they are seeking a replacement to fight against Gastelum.

- Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will get a shot at getting his title back as he will reportedly replace Frankie Edgar in the main event of UFC 218 against current featherweight champ Max Holloway. Edgar had been from the fight earlier this week due to injury. Holloway defeated Aldo in June via third-round TKO to become the undisputed featherweight champion. Aldo was expected to face Ricardo Lamas at UFC On FOX 26 on Dec. 16 in what would've been his first non-title fight since 2009. It's unclear if Lamas will remain on that card. Holloway is currently on an 11-fight win streak. UFC 218 will take place in Detroit, Michigan on Dec. 2.