MMA News: Conor McGregor involved in backstage brawl, vandalizes UFC fighter van, injures Michael Chiesa
What’s the story?
Per Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting, Conor McGregor was reportedly involved in a backstage brawl at the UFC 223 media day event; vandalizing property at the arena.
Additionally, McGregor’s attack is also said to have injured UFC Lightweight Michael Chiesa. Besides, further details on the entire melee have also been noted.
In case you didn’t know…
Conor McGregor last competed in the sport of MMA at UFC 205 back in November of 2016; defeating Eddie Alvarez to win the UFC Lightweight Championship.
McGregor made his professional boxing debut last year, losing to Floyd Mayweather by TKO in a fight that’s said to have earned him upwards of $100 million.
While McGregor hasn’t defended his UFC Lightweight title since winning it in 2016, UFC President Dana White confirmed that he’ll be stripped of the title, as the winner of the UFC 223 main-event matchup between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Max Holloway will be declared the new UFC 155-pound Champion.
The heart of the matter
As reported by veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, Conor McGregor and his entourage crashed the UFC 223 media day, in the latter moments of the event—with their vandalism continuing as the fighters who’re competing at this weekend’s event were heading back to the UFC fighter hotel.
Several videos circulating the interwebs, show McGregor and his accomplices vandalizing property at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York—the venue at which the UFC 223 media day took place.
McGregor and his entourage were spotted hastily entering an elevator, following which they made their way to the loading dock of the arena, per Brett Okamoto of ESPN—with McGregor and his entourage throwing chairs, guardrails, bike racks and other objects at the van/bus that was transporting the UFC fighters.
Furthermore, Helwani revealed that people who were inside the van, asserted that McGregor and his accomplices kept striking the vehicle. The attack is said to have been primarily directed at the van/bus which was carrying Nurmagomedov, as experts believe McGregor entered the arena looking for the former.
Lightweight contender Michael Chiesa who’s scheduled to fight Anthony Pettis at UFC 223, reportedly suffered a laceration from the windows’ broken glass, and is at a local medical facility—with the Chiesa vs. Pettis fight now likely being cancelled.
It was also noted that Dana White is making his way back to the Barclays Center, and while most fighters made their way back to the hotel, a few fighters are still at the arena. (*Footage courtesy--Jim Edwards)
What’s next?
Reigning UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway—who stepped in on short notice for the injured Tony Ferguson—moves up a weight class to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC Lightweight title.
The matchup headlines UFC 223 which takes place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on April 7th—and will end with the UFC crowning a new Lightweight Champion as McGregor is stripped of his title.
Author’s take
Honestly speaking, Conor McGregor may have pulled off this as either a publicity stunt or as retaliation after Nurmagomedov confronted the former’s friend Artem Lobov in a hotel lobby earlier this week.
Regardless, what he did, endangered several innocent bystanders, and he could be facing legal repercussions for his actions in the days to come.