Whether you hate MMA or buy every pay-per-view it offers, you've probably heard the name Conor McGregor. McGregor is an MMA fighter known for his high skill in the sport and the championships he has both won and defended. However, in past years he has been even more notable for some of the stunts he pulls both in matches and outside of them. Most of these events have put the MMA in a bad light, and yesterday McGregor crossed the line in what Dana White, president of the UFC, says is "embarrassing for the sport."
Yesterday at UFC 223's Media Day at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, several fighters on the event card were there to be interviewed about their scheduled fights and what they've been doing to train for their opponents. It's basically a big hype day for those who are interested in buying the pay-per-view event. At the conclusion of the even McGregor, who was not scheduled to fight at UFC 223, stormed through the Barclays Center to attack a van carrying some of the fighters.
McGregor is widely known as one of the most entertaining fighters to watch due to the drama he stirs up and how in almost every case he has backed up his talk with a whole lot of walk. He has tossed chairs, thrown water bottles, and publicly insulted almost every fighter he's come across. This isn't your typical bully on the playground banter either, he's throwing out words that challenge the manhood of some of the baddest men on the planet. He's even challenged boxing legend Floyd Mayweather to a boxing match, one of his few losses.
Video footage shows McGregor tossing some sort of railing at the van last night while pedestrians watched. Shortly after the incident, an arrest warrant was put out for McGregor who later in the evening turned himself in to the police. It has been officially confirmed by police that McGregor will face one count of felony criminal mischief and three counts of assault in Brooklyn Criminal Court this Friday.
Losing McGregor as a fighter may be detrimental to the UFC due to the views who he produced with his dramatic stunts. He is the face of the UFC, but president White doesn't seem to care. "You attacked my fighters and my staff.....you don't get my help on this one," said White. McGregor apparently showed no remorse for the one injury he caused, and because of this, he may never be seen in the octagon again.
Some people believe that the event may have been staged as a way to get more people excited for McGregor's next fight, however White has made it incredibly clear that this was no publicity stunt. "This is the last stunt on earth we would ever pull, stunts don't get people thrown in jail with counts of criminal activity," said White.
It's hard to say whether we'll see McGregor fight in the UFC again, several of his fans are upset and shocked by his actions, but in professional opinion, the right thing to do would be to at the very least suspend him for his actions.
