Max Holloway, Paddy Pimblett, and Gable Steveson celebrated their respective wins at UFC 329 by hopping over the cage. However, in doing so, the trio violated Nevada State Athletic Commission regulations. Now, the state commission has brought down the hammer on them by withholding their fight purses pending disciplinary action.

According to MMA Junkie’s Nolan King, the NSAC is set to hold hearings next Wednesday, though it initially did not reveal what they were about. However, the veteran reporter figured out from the commission’s language that the hearings were indeed related to the fighters hopping over the cage. Later, multiple sources also confirmed the same.

“The Nevada State Athletic Commission is having hearings on Wednesday about withholding the UFC 329 purses for Max Holloway, Paddy Pimblett, and Gable Steveson for disciplinary reasons,” King said. “No reason was given, but this language has mostly been used for scaling or leaving the cage.”

To be fair, the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts do not explicitly prohibit fighters from jumping over the cage after a bout. However, athletic commissions such as the NSAC operate under their own regulations and have independent jurisdiction beyond the Unified Rules.

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Such regulations are primarily put in place to prevent misconduct that could potentially harm cageside staff, including photographers, judges, and other personnel.

The rule also covers fighters leaving the competition area and potentially becoming involved in altercations. The most infamous example came at UFC 229, when Khabib Nurmagomedov jumped over the fence and attacked members of Conor McGregor’s team. The incident ultimately resulted in a $500,000 fine and a nine-month suspension for the former lightweight champion. But that, of course, was one of the more extreme cases, nothing like the celebratory cage jumps the fighters did at UFC 329.

Previously, fighters such as Diego Lopes have also faced disciplinary action for jumping over the cage. Lopes reportedly received a $2,500 fine after climbing over the fence following his knockout victory over Sodiq Yusuff at UFC 300. That fight too, like UFC 329, took place at the T-Mobile Arena.

Former UFC fighter Mayra Bueno Silva was also reportedly fined $2,500 for jumping over the cage after her June 2024 fight against Macy Chiasson at UFC 303, which she lost.

With those precedents in mind, Holloway, who jumped over the fence after beating Conor McGregor in the main event, Pimblett, who also jumped over the cage after defeating Benoit Saint Denis in the co-main event, and Steveson, who beat Elisha Ellison on the prelims, could potentially face similar financial penalties once the NSAC concludes its hearing.

But after the NSAC withheld their purses, Paddy Pimblett’s manager and Gable Steveson have already reacted to the legal situation. 

Paddy Pimblett and Gable Steveson break silence on NSAC withholding UFC 329 purses

The commission withholding their fight purses could understandably frustrate the fighters. Paddy Pimblett’s manager, Graham Boylan, certainly sounded unhappy after learning about the upcoming hearing and called for the rule to be changed.

“For the record, this rule needs to be changed,” Boylan said, as per Nolan King. “Yes, it’s the fight game and systems need to be in play to make it all work, but this rule does nothing to support that. It’s 2026, apply a little common sense.”

Following ‘The Baddy’s’ manager, newly signed UFC heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson also reacted to the situation. However, his reaction was much more level-headed, as he apologized to the Nevada Athletic Commission for breaking the rule.

“My situation is taken care of,” Steveson told MMA Fighting. “I should be off that list, and if I’m still on that list, then it will be taken care of really, really soon, by today or tomorrow. I did jump the cage, and I didn’t know that the Nevada Athletic Commission says you can’t jump the cage. So, Hunter Campbell was sitting there, and I wanted to say ‘hello’ to the boss. So, I had to go say hello, made my rounds, and jumped back in 20 seconds later. Sorry, Nevada.

“Yeah, I see there’s always a ‘what if.’ I mean, their job is to protect and make sure all the athletes stay safe. And the ‘what if’ is, what if I jumped over and drop-kicked Hunter Campbell? You never know. Glad I didn’t, though.”

Here Steveson acknowledged the potential risks associated with fighters crossing the cage, particularly for people sitting cageside. His comments highlight why commissions have regulations governing what fighters can and cannot do after a bout.

For now, the NSAC’s hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, and the commission’s decision could determine whether Holloway, Pimblett, and Steveson receive their full purses or face additional financial penalties for their UFC 329 celebrations.