LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 12: Conor McGregor celebrates after a first-round knockout victory over Jose Aldo in their featherweight title fight during UFC 194 on December 12, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
Conor McGregor seems to be as violent outside the octagon as he is inside it.
The combative UFC fighter was arrested in New York City on Thursday after being charged with assault. The New York Police Department said McGregor’s total charges were as follows: three counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of felony criminal mischief.
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Video footage showed McGregor tossing a hand dolly through the window of a bus transporting UFC stars at a UFC 223 media event at Barclays Center. The 29-year-old Irishman — who wasn’t on the UFC 223 card — reportedly injured at least two fighters, who are now incapable of competing in Saturday night’s UFC 223 at the Barclays Center.
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In an ESPN interview on Friday morning, UFC president Dana White adamantly stated he refuses to bail McGregor out. White said that although he would ordinarily jump to assist a UFC fighter, McGregor went too far and that the former featherweight and lightweight champion doesn’t deserve his help in this case.
“No … no,” White stated on ESPN’s Get Up! when asked if he was willing to assist McGregor. “Normally, yes, I would dive right in and do everything in my power to help one of my guys. But not in this situation.
“He came into the Barclays Center, attacked our fighters and attacked my staff with a bunch of guys. No, you don’t get my help on this one.”
Along with McGregor, the Irishman’s teammate Cian Cowley was also charged with assault by the NYPD.
White added that he believed McGregor was seeking revenge for an incident earlier this week between Russian lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov and featherweight Artem Lobov, a Russian-born Irishman.
The UFC president also said he was surprised by McGregor’s behavior, despite everything.
“It’s out of character for Conor McGregor and any of my fighters,” White stated of the fighter’s actions. “Listen, crazy things happen in sports. … In the history of the UFC, this is definitely the worst thing ever that’s happened. … This is not Conor McGregor. This is not the Conor McGregor that I know.”
White did not explicitly say whether he would fire McGregor, who is expected to make a court appearance on Friday.
Three fights have now been pulled from Saturday’s UFC 223 event.
Lightweight Michael Chiesa (14-3) will no longer fight Anthony Pettis due to facial injuries he sustained in the attack from broken glass. Meanwhile, flyweight Ray Borg’s (11-3) match against Brandon Moreno won’t occur because of injuries Borg suffered that the UFC called “multiple corneal abrasions.”
Finally, Lobov (13-14-1) had already been scratched from his bout against Alex Caceres due to his involvement in the assault incident.
McGregor (21-3) last competed with UFC in November 2016, when he won the lightweight (155-pound) title title, according to Bleacher Report.
The Irishman also lost to undefeated Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match in August 2017. McGregor reportedly won at least $30 million from that fight, while Mayweather earned more than $100 million.
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