Conor McGregor has remained (mostly) silent since his antics in the cage at Bellator 187 this past Friday. Now, he’s broken his silence to issue an apology for his actions.
When Conor McGregor jumped into the Bellator cage following teammate Charlie Ward’s big win at Bellator 187, it was shocking even by the standards of a fighter known as ‘Notorious.’ Ward’s opponent, John Redmond, was still dazed and confused. The fight wasn’t even technically a done deal yet. McGregor began celebrating with Ward, then shoved ref Marc Goddard when Goddard tried to clear him from the cage.
Not stopping there, McGregor would later slap a Bellator official after jumping on the fence after the original incident.
Then came silence. He would briefly post a message to Twitter regarding the incident, claiming he “lost it” when the ref told him the fight wasn’t over, despite Redmond’s obvious distress. The post, capped off with profanity, was subsequently deleted.
Today, a seemingly contrite McGregor released a statement via Instagram.
I sincerely apologize for my behavior at last weekends fight event in Dublin. While trying to support a loyal teammate and friend, I let my emotions get the best of me and acted out of line. As a multiple weight UFC champion, executive producer, role model and public figure, I must hold myself to a higher standard. The referee Marc Godard was making a horrendous decision in trying to pick an unconscious fighter up off the floor and force the fight to continue into the second round. Even against the wishes of the said fighters coach. The fight was over. After witnessing my fighter in a fight where the worst happened and the opponent passed away from his injuries on the night, I thought the worst was about to happen again, and I lost it and over reacted. I am sorry to everyone. I sincerely apologize to the Director of the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation, Mike Mazzulli, all the officials and staff working the event, Andy Ryan and his fighter John, two stonch ones that put up a great fight every time. That side will always have my respect, and lastly every one of my fans. I love yous all! I’ve always learned from my mistakes and this will be no different.
There has been some question as to what if any discipline McGregor will receive for the incident. As the UFC lightweight champ is not a Bellator employee, there’s little the promotion can do in terms of a punishment. The event was held under the Mohegan Sun commission, but McGregor was not a licensed cornerman. That may leave the commission with few options for discipline outside of denying a future license. Problem is, the chances of McGregor ever requiring a license from that particular commission are slim to nil.
Mohegan Sun head Mike Mazulli, also head of the Association of Boxing Commissions, has stated he’s exploring his legal options. Ultimately, however, he seemed to be relying on the UFC to dole out punishment. However, despite claims that McGregor is off UFC 219, he was never announced for the card, and his appearance on it was dubious to begin with. Beyond that, is the UFC likely to voluntarily bench its biggest cash cow heading into 2018? That seems unlikely.
In the end, this apology may be the last we hear of the incident, though time will tell.
