Several uniformed Morristown, New Jersey, officers were deployed at Newark's Prudential Center after champion Khamzat Chimaev and challenger Sean Strickland traded threats before Saturday's middleweight title fight.
The UFC is separating the fighters, including housing Strickland elsewhere, and closely monitoring their movements before Thursday's press conference and Friday's weigh-in staredown.
Strickland cited fears of Chimaev's entourage, while Chimaev mocked his rival's gun threats; other fighters also reported unusually heavy security around fight week.
When a rivalry requires police protection, has the UFC's promotional hype gone too far?
How do misunderstood 'stand your ground' laws escalate a war of words into a major security operation?