Conor McGregor’s Brooklyn melee saga has come to a close. The former multi-weight class UFC world champion took a plea deal at his hearing in a Kings County courthouse today which saw all felony counts against the popular fighter dismissed.
Conor McGregor pleads guilty to disorderly conduct violation after UFC 223 Media Day incident | ESPN
Conor McGregor pleaded guilty to a single violation of disorderly conduct in Brooklyn criminal court for his involvement in an incident during UFC 223 Media Day on April 5 at Barclays Center. The agreement between him and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office involves no jail time and will not affect McGregor’s travel visa.
Per the terms, McGregor (21-3) had to plead guilty to one count of disorderly conduct and will now be forced to undergo five days of community service, 1-3 days of an anger management evaluation, and will be required to pay restitution for the damage he inflicted on a UFC fighter bus during UFC 223 fight week.
Three orders of protections were also served against McGregor, including two by UFC fighters Ray Borg and Michael Chiesa. McGregor will not be permitted near them until July 2020, which clearly will throw a monkey wrench in any of UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby’s plans when creating fight cards.
The plea deal will not affect McGregors travel visa; McGregor is a resident of Dublin, Ireland and The Notorious will receive no jail time and will not have a criminal record.
The 30-year old Irishman created a mini-riot and endangered many on April 5 when he and his entourage stormed into Brooklyns Barclays Center in a wild scene following UFC 223s media day, attacking the UFC fighter’s bus and carrying lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
McGregor hurled a dolly through a bus window, which left several fighters injured including UFC contenders Chiesa and Borg to withdraw from their respective UFC 223 fights as a result of injuries suffered from the broken glass. Recently, Chiesa told ESPN that the wheels are in motion for his legal action against McGregor.
In addition, McGregors teammate Artem Lobov was also involved in the melee and was subsequently pulled from his UFC 223 scheduled bout against Alex “Bruce Leroy” Caceres. His other teammate, Cian Cowley was forced to turn himself into the New York Police Department, along with McGregor, on the night of the incident and was released on $50,000 and $25,000 bond, respectively. Cowley also pled guilty to one count of disorderly conduct on Thursday.
McGregor faced a potential 12 criminal charges for his role in the incident and both men informed the New York State court in a June 14 hearing that they planned to negotiate a plea deal.
Connor McGregor’s greatest press conference rants and moments | ESPN
UFC star Conor McGregor is mostly known for his skills in the octagon, but he is also very talented on the microphone. In honor of his 30th birthday, check out some of his best rants through the years that helped catapult him into stardom.
With McGregors legal issues now resolved, the question must be asked of the New York State judicial system and the UFC organization: why has he not been made an example of?
These actions have laid the groundwork for McGregor’s potential return to action. UFC president Dana White has repeatedly stated over recent months that the promotion would not move forward without a definitive consequence from the courts. The court, like White, has coddled their cantankerous child and his white privilege will certainly be on display after.
Imagine if another MMA athlete of color did the same actions. Look at Jon Jones who has only hurt himself by using drugs and he has been reamed for it. He was built up to be torn down as a pariah even though what he did was a personally damaging act.
McGregor was gunning for everybody with his actions and he gets a slap on the wrist for it. No example other than that it pays to be a manic white man with an audience. Does this conjure up visions of 45 for anyone else?
While other news outlets are already discussing a blockbuster title matchup against Nurmagomedov potentially on Nov. 3 at UFC 230 at New Yorks Madison Square Garden, or on Dec. 29 for the promotions year-end Las Vegas show, UFC 232, some of us are left scratching their heads.
McGregor has not competed in MMA since defeating Eddie Alvarez via second-round TKO at UFC 205 in Nov. 2016 to become the first-ever UFC champion to simultaneously hold titles in two different divisions. He holds a 9-1 Octagon record and carries a slew of notable victories over the likes of Jose Aldo, Max Holloway, Nate Diaz, Dustin Poirier, and Chad Mendes, among others. McGregor made his professional boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather in Aug. 2017, losing to Mayweather via 10th-round TKO but making the most money of any MMA fighter of all time from a single fight.
As the McGregor train roils who is challenging the UFC and the legal system to punish those who cause harm to others? I guess if you ask former UFC fighter, Paul Daley, who was banished for hitting an opponent after the bell, the system only sees justice when an opponent is a person of color.
