Wildman McGregor sabotages UFC card
NEW YORK — UFC star Conor McGregor surrendered himself to police on Thursday in the wake of a backstage melee he instigated at a media conference that forced cancellation of three fights on UFC’s biggest card of the year.
Video footage shows the promotion’s most bankable star throwing a hand cart at a bus full of fighters after the media conference for UFC 223 at Barclays Center.
The video shows McGregor with a group of people causing chaos as they took an elevator to the loading dock at Barclays Center.
He can be seen tossing trash cans and being prevented from throwing a barricade at a bus during his unannounced appearance in New York.
Police said McGregor threw a hand cart at a bus, causing minor injury to an individual on the bus. UFC said three fights on Saturday’s UFC 223 card have been scrapped as a result of the incident.
“The organization deems today’s disruption completely unacceptable and is currently working on the consequences that will follow,” UFC said in a statement.
“Individuals involved in the incident are not welcome at tomorrow’s ceremonial weighin or Saturday’s event at Barclays Center.”
McGregor hasn’t fought for UFC since November 2016 and was stripped this week by UFC president Dana White of the 155-pound championship he had never defended.
McGregor last fought when he lost a boxing match to Floyd Mayweather last August.
The popular Irishman is tight with UFC 223 fighter Artem Lobov, who was involved this week in a scuffle in a hotel with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov fights Max Holloway for the lightweight championship left vacant by McGregor.
Lobov was yanked from the card and banned from the building.
Michael Chiesa was sent to the hospital with undisclosed injuries sustained in the attack and was forced out of his scheduled fight against Anthony Pettis.
“A decision was made by the New York State Athletic Commission to pull me from fighting on UFC 223,” Chiesa tweeted.
“I’m devastated to say the least. That’s all I have to say for now. Much love.”
Flyweight Ray Borg sustained multiple cornea abrasions in the wake of the McGregor attack and his fight against Brandon Moreno was also scratched
White said earlier in the week that McGregor would fight again for UFC this year. McGregor’s actions now put any future fights very much in doubt.
The 29-year-old McGregor once held the 145 and 155pound championships at the same time and boldly stated he wanted an ownership stake in UFC.
But the trash-talking, egocentric has been out of the fight game except for his boxing dalliance with Mayweather that made him wealthy enough to never have to fight again.