3 Worst Conor McGregor Controversies for UFC
Conor McGregor has seen a meteoric rise unlike any other in the history of UFC, and as such has seen himself become the richest Mixed Martial Art Fighter in the world. UFC has directly benefited from his rise as well, with the interest in the 'Notorious One' bringing in a lot of spectators for their product.
McGregor's tenure in UFC has seen a rise in the product's value as well, and while the company is grateful to him, being so closely associated with McGregor has not always helped them. On many an occasion, being associated with McGregor saw the company being drawn into some controversy or other due to the antics of the former Champion.
Currently, Conor McGregor is set to face the Russian UFC Lightweight Champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. With his return to the Octagon after two years away from UFC less than a month away, UFC once again finds themselves being looked at askew by many for his inclusion in their card.
While it would be a lie to say that his return to the card is not one of the most anticipated moments in the UFC currently, the company might also prefer that the 'Notorious One' keeps himself away from any controversy for the time being at least.
In this article, we will take a look at 3 different occasions, when Conor McGregor's antics saw him getting dragged into immense amounts of controversy.
#3 UFC 202 Pre-Fight Scrap
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz had one of the most heated rivalries in the UFC for quite a long time. On the first occasion that the two came face to face, Diaz handed McGregor a defeat, submitting him with a Rear Naked Choke.
At UFC 202, the two were set to square off for the second time. At the pre-fight press conference, the two of them exchanged words, and in the middle of the heated banter, Nate Diaz got up and walked off the stage, leading Conor McGregor to shout slurs after him, berating him and his team.
His team did not take this well and started to pelt him with water bottles on stage. McGregor, never one to take anything lying down, retaliated in a manner suiting his temperament. He picked up water bottles and cans and threw them off the stage as well, while Dana White pleaded with him to restrain himself.
In the end, the incident caused a rift between him and the Nevada State Athletic Commission and he was also fined $150,000 while being sentenced to 50 hours of Community service for his behaviour, something that he did not take well.
You can see it here. Diaz walks out at around the 20-minute mark and it all goes downhill from there..