Conor McGregor 'apologizes to nobody', except when he said sorry to TV boss Stephen Espinoza to gain special backstage access
The combat sports community has lately been rife with reports that Conor McGregor has apologized to Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza.
After beating Eddie Alvarez for the UFC lightweight title and becoming the UFC's first simultaneous double champion at UFC 205 in November 2016, McGregor delivered an iconic post-fight speech about being unapologetic.
'The Notorious' seemingly offered an apology, only to swerve and say that he'd like "to apologize to absolutely nobody."
A few months later, McGregor partook in a media event to promote his August 2017 crossover boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. McGregor unleashed a verbal tirade at Mayweather and also suggested that Espinoza cut off the power to his (McGregor's) microphone.
The Irishman notably labeled Stephen Espinoza a "weasel," while Espinoza later claimed that he wouldn't want to work with McGregor again.
Regardless, McGregor attended the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia boxing match at the T-Mobile Arena, in Paradise, Nevada, USA, on April 22nd, 2023. The match was a Showtime-DAZN presentation.
On that note, Conor McGregor's sparring partner-turned-rival Paulie Malignaggi -- who helped him prepare for the Mayweather boxing match -- recently claimed that McGregor apologized to Showtime boss Stephen Espinoza.
As reported by The Mirror, Malignaggi indicated that McGregor apologized to Espinoza for tickets to the Davis-Garcia fight and for backstage access where he met Garcia.
Furthermore, in a subsequent interview with The Mirror, Espinoza implied that he and McGregor "did run into each other backstage" at the Davis-Garcia event. Recalling McGregor's apology, he opined that they could work together in the future.
Espinoza stated:
"He was respectful and I think I was respectful, he could sense that I wasn't really overly effusive with him, I wasn't enthusiastic. He said, 'What? You're still upset about that?' I said, 'Well I'm not upset, but it was a little much.' He goes, 'Look, I was just trying to sell, you know about selling, let's do it all again. If I offended you, I'm sorry, but maybe we can do it all again.'"
He added:
"It was a long time ago... Everyone had a lot of fun, made a lot of money and I'm not going to hold a grudge over that. It's time to move on and who knows? Maybe we could be working together again at some point!"
What's next for MMA legend and UFC megastar Conor McGregor?
Conor McGregor's been on an injury hiatus since July 2021. Many believe that the Irishman could return in the coming months and fight TUF 31 rival coach Michael Chandler, potentially in early 2024.
McGregor hasn't competed in the sport of boxing since his lone boxing match against Floyd Mayweather in 2017. Regardless, he recently expressed interest in competing in both MMA and boxing.
Moreover, outlining his potential plans a few days back, McGregor asserted that he'd love to face Michael Chandler. 'The Notorious' claimed that he'll then fight newly-crowned BMF champion Justin Gaethje and follow that up with a trilogy showdown against Nate Diaz.