One of the biggest celebrities in the Mixed Martial Arts scene is Conor McGregor. The 29-year-old fighter was a huge star in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but his celebrity totally exploded in the lead-up to his highly-publicized fight with the undefeated world champion, Floyd Mayweather, who came out of retirement to do battle with the Irish combatant.
The fight was one of the biggest sporting events ever, with McGregor rumored to have earned $100 million for putting up his dukes against Mayweather - who himself is alleged to have made a staggering $300 million for the fight. McGregor was defeated when the referee put a stop to the fight following a series of hard punches from the boxing champion, but it was worth it to become a household name and one of the biggest stars in the world... And the $100 million surely went a long way in easing the bitter taste of defeat.
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By all appearances, McGregor was on top of the world, which is why recent events are so baffling. McGregor hasn't fought a UFC match since late 2016, so fans have been eagerly awaiting his return to The Octagon, but his recent, non-fighting appearances have been... Unorthodox, to say the least, all culminating in an arrest and criminal charges. Whatever happens, one question remains Will Conor McGregor fight again?
- This Page: Why McGregor is in Trouble
Inappropriate Behavior at Bellator 187
Conor McGregor has always been an outspoken trash talker. He likes to play mind games on his opponents, a tactic he adopted from one of his favorite athletes, Muhammad Ali. Unfortunately, it seems like McGregor has grown more unhinged and has shown some erratic and disturbing behavior in two of his most recent appearances.
During November 2017's Bellator 187, an MMA event, McGregor's friend, Charlie Ward, defeated John Redmond. As the match was ending, but not before it was officially over, McGregor jumped into the cage to congratulate his fellow Straight Blast Gym teammate, despite not being one of Ward's designated corner men. It may not sound like a big deal, but it was a clear violation of the rules, and it only got worse when the referee, Marc Goddard, stepped in to separate the bro-hug bonding and get Ward back to his corner.
Agitated and unwilling to accept this outing of his own misbehavior, McGregor turned his positivity over his friend's victory into negativity towards the referee. He charged towards Goddard, and shoved the referee until he had to be restrained and ejected from the cage.
McGregor took to Instagram to apologize for his actions, stating, "...I let my emotions get the best of me... As a role model and public figure, I must hold myself to a higher standard... I am sorry to everyone... I've always learned from my mistakes and this will be no different." He also lambasted the referee for, as he saw it, trying to pick up the defeated Redmond off the ground to force him to continue fighting against Ward, despite being incapacitated by the beating he endured in the first round of the match.
The Bus Attack
On April 5, at a promotional UFC event held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, McGregor went too far. The exact reason for his shocking attack is currently unknown, but is believed to possibly be related to a feud between Artem Lobov (McGregor's friend) and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Whatever the case, McGregor, accompanied by Lobov and a large entourage, launched a one-man attack on a bus full of UFC fighters. Footage of the attack can be seen above, but be warned, it is full of extremely explicit language.
McGregor picks up an equipment dolly and throws it at the bus, shattering the window and injuring multiple fighters with shards of broken glass. Michael Chiesa was hospitalized with facial cuts from the attack, and other minor injuries were also reported. Conor's unprecedented behavior has been called "the most disgusting thing that has ever happened in the history of the company," by UFC President Dana White, who warned, "After this move, I think everybody's relationship with Conor is going to be not so great."
Will McGregor Be Able to Return to Fighting?
Obviously, Conor McGregor is not on good terms with the UFC. He injured multiple fighters and UFC employees, the public has turned against him, and UFC President Dana White is furious. It sounds like something out of World Wrestling Entertainment, not a supposedly serious fighting contest like UFC. He misbehaved so badly, it's unclear if he'll ever be allowed to fight with the UFC again.
The question then becomes: does he even want to?
Pragmatically speaking, McGregor doesn't have to work another day in his life; his take from the Mayweather fight is surely enough to keep him and his family comfortable for the rest of their lives. He's also gearing up to launch his own clothing line with David August, called August McGregor. He's young, rich, and still physically healthy, any Mayweather-related concussions notwithstanding.
Speaking of concussions, UFC is right up there with boxing and football as one of the most dangerous sports on the planet, especially after they switched to padded gloves. The previous bare-knuckle style was certainly more bloody, but actually safer in the long run, since punches to the head were a tactical play. With the padded gloves protecting hands from injury, boxing-adjacent techniques (particular for fighters who prefer striking to grappling) are much more viable in the Octagon, and concussions are more likely to occur.
Some fighters truly love getting down with the incomparable energy of one-on-one combat, but fighters do what they do to seek a better life for themselves and their loved ones. When they achieve a certain level of fame and wealth, they don't have to fight anymore. Simply put, the UFC needs McGregor far more than he needs them.
Will Conor Go To Jail?
There's no getting around it this fact: Conor McGregor committed a crime. After turning himself in to the police, the Irish fighter was charged with three counts of assault and one of criminal mischief. How serious are these charges? Screen Rant's sister site, The Sportster, spoke with Brooklyn criminal defense attorney (and host of The Fight Lawyer Podcast) Dmitriy Shakhnevich, who offered his professional insight into how the legal process could play out in McGregor's case.
There are several punishments, any number of which may be handed down as a sentence for Conor: financial penalties, jail time, and deportation. Financial punishments likely wouldn't have much of an impact on the filthy-rich MMA star, but jail time would be a serious stain on his reputation, and his legal status could make him virtually unemployable in the world of American sports.
When it comes to the possibility of imprisonment, McGregor is facing serious time. Second degree Criminal Mischief carries a jail sentence of up to seven years. McGregor is also accused of third degree Criminal Mischief, though Shakhnevich says that sentences are usually handed out concurrently, rather than consecutively.
Other Punishments
Morbidly amusing though it may be to speculate about the potential of McGregor's "trial of the century," Shakhnevich assured Sportster that cases like this, particularly those involving massive celebrities, rarely (if ever) make it that far. More likely, McGregor will take a plea bargain to lesser charges, pay a hefty fine, and apologize on television probably to Jimmy Fallon.
If and when McGregor pleas down to a lesser charge, he may still be left with a significant criminal record. If that happens, then he is in serious trouble if he ever wants to fight in America again, since it could potentially become significantly more difficult for him to enter the country to do his job.
UFC is an American operation, and most of their fights (and fans) occur in the United States. If McGregor is denied entry into the country, then it would be impossible for him to enter into a contract with any American company, be they MMA or boxing-related. He could still be incredibly successful in Europe and Asia, but if he can't get into the States anymore, expect McGregor to quickly fade into obscurity, and for his stardom to fizzle out to a mere ember of its former glory.
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Conor McGregor is in a rough spot, but he has no one to blame but himself. Did UFC do him wrong when they stripped him of his featherweight title? Maybe. Do they appreciate how strong of a brand ambassador he has been for them, especially in the lead-up to that huge Mayweather fight? Maybe not.
Either way, McGregor should have known better than to target a bus full of UFC fighters and attempt to injure them by throwing a steel object through a window. He likes being the roguishly unpredictable bad boy of fighting, but this is on a whole other level. He committed an indefensible act, and now he has to pay for it, one way or another. If Conor McGregor wants to retain his celebrity and not allow notoriety to eclipse his talent and skill in combat sports, he needs to start down the long road to redemption. It would go a long way towards avoiding a prison sentence and/or deportation, and he might just salvage what remains of his reputation.