Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
MMA Star Conor McGregor Pleads Guilty in Melee Case
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
July 26, 2018

Share

NEW YORK — This time, Conor McGregor didn’t put up a fight.
The mixed martial arts star pleaded guilty on Thursday to disorderly conduct and will perform five days of community service to resolve charges stemming from a backstage melee at a New York City arena in which he was caught on camera hurling a hand truck at a bus full of fighters.

“I just want to say I’m thankful to the DA and the judge for allowing me to move forward. I want to say to my friends, my family, my fans, thank you for the support.” — Conor McGregor, MMA Star
McGregor will also be evaluated for an anger management program and barred from contact with fighters injured in the mayhem after a news conference for the UFC 223 event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in April.
There are no restrictions on McGregor’s travel. If he stays out of trouble for a year, his record will be wiped clean. If he violates the terms of his plea deal, he could be jailed for up to 15 days. Prosecutors said he’s already paid to fix the bus.
The 30-year-old Irish brawler, who last month said he regretted his actions, then rushed to a waiting SUV with his entourage, separated by bike-rack barricades from dozens of photographers and reporters and a self-professed superfan.
“You’re the champ Conor!” Robbie Fox yelled, an Irish flag draped around his neck. “They won’t do anything to you Conor, you’re the champ!”
McGregor, clad in a tight, blue pinstripe suit, was joined in court by his 25-year-old friend, fellow fighter, Irish citizen and co-defendant Cian Cowley, who was sentenced to three days of community service and anger management.

Violations, Not Criminal Offenses

Prosecutors said the sentence will allow McGregor to “reflect on his conduct and give back to society.” The charges to which he and Cowley pleaded guilty are technically violations, not criminal offenses.
McGregor, once the UFC’s simultaneous 145- and 155-pound champion, hasn’t fought since the fracas.
The UFC stripped him of its 155-pound championship belt in April because he had not fought in 17 months. During that time, McGregor turned to boxing and secured a guaranteed $30 million payday despite losing a highly anticipated bout last year to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The UFC declined to comment Thursday on the outcome of McGregor’s case.
Last week, McGregor attended the World Cup final in Moscow as a guest of Russian President Vladimir Putin and posed with him in a photo posted on Instagram. In the caption, McGregor called Putin “one of the greatest leaders of our time.”
The day before, on McGregor’s 30th birthday, his girlfriend revealed on Instagram that she was pregnant with their second child.

Attacking a Bus in a Barclays Center

McGregor, widely known for his fight-related antics, was seen on camera attacking the bus in a Barclays Center loading dock after a press event ahead of UFC 223, which featured the sport’s biggest card of the year.
He and an entourage that UFC president Dana White described as “20 hoodlums that flew in from Ireland” crashed the event allegedly looking for retaliation against main event fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov, who had been in an altercation with McGregor’s friend Artem Lobov.
Video showed McGregor tossing trash cans and being blocked from throwing a barricade before he launched the hand truck. Fighters Michael Chiesa and Ray Borg were hurt by shattered glass, forcing them from their bouts.
Nurmagomedov, the current 155-pound champion, was on the bus and said he had to be restrained to keep from fighting McGregor. In an online chat with fans this week, Nurmagomedov said he’d be interested in taking that battle to the UFC octagon.
White said McGregor justified the confrontation in a text exchange just before he turned himself in to police. According to White, he said it “had to be done.”

DON'T MISS

Man Dies After Rescuing His 2 Children in Mississippi River

DON'T MISS

Is Inflation Finally Corralled? Powell Says Federal Reserve Believes It’s Close

DON'T MISS

New Village Green Park Opens in Loma Vista as Clovis Community Hub

DON'T MISS

Gomez Guilty of Murdering Los Hooligans Bass Player

DON'T MISS

Biden Says It Was a Mistake to Say He Wanted to Put Trump in a ‘Bull’s-Eye’

DON'T MISS

Dealing Blow to Biden’s Reelection Bid, Teamsters Union May Withhold Endorsement

DON'T MISS

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Appears to Confirm Delay in Aug. 8 Robotaxi Unveil Event to Make Design Change

DON'T MISS

Smittcamp Asks Court to Drop His Lawsuit Against Controversial NW Fresno Project

DON'T MISS

Measure P Arts Grants Spark Debate and a Meeting Tonight

DON'T MISS

Tedford Exits Fresno State Football. Tim Skipper Is the Next Bulldog Up.

UP NEXT

Dustin May Undergoes Season-Ending Esophagus Surgery as Dodgers Rotation Takes Another Hit

UP NEXT

Argentina Wins Record 16th Copa America Title, Beats Colombia After Messi Gets Hurt

UP NEXT

Tigers Take Advantage of Ramírez Errors in 9th Inning

UP NEXT

Mike Yastrzemski Triples, Scores in Bottom of 9th, Giants Beat Twins

UP NEXT

Spain Beats England 2-1 to Win Record Fourth European Championship Title

UP NEXT

Alcaraz Defeats Djokovic in Wimbledon Final, Claims Fourth Slam Title

UP NEXT

Barbora Krejcikova Wins Wimbledon, Beats Jasmine Paolini

UP NEXT

These Stargazing Spots Are the Closest You’ll Get to Heaven on Earth

UP NEXT

Sean Burroughs, Former Little League Star and MLB Player, Died of Fentanyl Overdose

UP NEXT

UC Merced Begins NCAA Division II Sports Competition in 2025-26 Season

Gomez Guilty of Murdering Los Hooligans Bass Player

9 hours ago

Biden Says It Was a Mistake to Say He Wanted to Put Trump in a ‘Bull’s-Eye’

9 hours ago

Dealing Blow to Biden’s Reelection Bid, Teamsters Union May Withhold Endorsement

11 hours ago

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Appears to Confirm Delay in Aug. 8 Robotaxi Unveil Event to Make Design Change

12 hours ago

Smittcamp Asks Court to Drop His Lawsuit Against Controversial NW Fresno Project

13 hours ago

Measure P Arts Grants Spark Debate and a Meeting Tonight

13 hours ago

Tedford Exits Fresno State Football. Tim Skipper Is the Next Bulldog Up.

13 hours ago

Biden Orders Secret Service to Protect RFK Jr. After Attempt on Trump’s Life

13 hours ago

Trump Receives Enough Delegate Votes to Officially be Republicans’ Nominee

14 hours ago

Who is JD Vance? Things to Know About Donald Trump’s Pick for Vice President

14 hours ago

Man Dies After Rescuing His 2 Children in Mississippi River

A Minnesota man who disappeared Friday while rescuing his two young children from the rain-swollen Mississippi River was found dead by autho...

8 hours ago

8 hours ago

Man Dies After Rescuing His 2 Children in Mississippi River

8 hours ago

Is Inflation Finally Corralled? Powell Says Federal Reserve Believes It’s Close

9 hours ago

New Village Green Park Opens in Loma Vista as Clovis Community Hub

9 hours ago

Gomez Guilty of Murdering Los Hooligans Bass Player

9 hours ago

Biden Says It Was a Mistake to Say He Wanted to Put Trump in a ‘Bull’s-Eye’

11 hours ago

Dealing Blow to Biden’s Reelection Bid, Teamsters Union May Withhold Endorsement

12 hours ago

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Appears to Confirm Delay in Aug. 8 Robotaxi Unveil Event to Make Design Change

13 hours ago

Smittcamp Asks Court to Drop His Lawsuit Against Controversial NW Fresno Project

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend