Conor McGregor Facing Assault Charges Following UFC Bus Attack
Few fighters know how to put their face into the media spotlight better than Conor McGregor. But today he's getting attention for all the wrong reasons, and probably a mugshot to boot.
McGregor and his entourage crashed a UFC media event in Brooklyn last night and attacked a bus carrying other UFC fighters. This morning, he was arraigned on assault and criminal mischief charges.
Stripped, Banned, and Angry
McGregor had been banned from the event, promoting Saturday's UFC 223 card, though employees of his website were credentialed to attend and allegedly let the fighter and several others into the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. According to Deadspin, McGregor was angered by the announcement that he would be stripped of his UFC lightweight title. (McGregor won the title in 2016 and has yet to defend it in the octagon.)
Video of the incident, courtesy of TMZ Sports, shows an enraged McGregor throwing a hand truck at a small bus, shattering a side window:
MMA Mischief
At least two fighters on the bus were injured -- Michael Chiesa and Ray Borg suffered facial cuts and corneal abrasions, respectively -- and had to pulled from their fights. UFC also announced Artem Lobov, McGregor's teammate, will not fight in his scheduled bout.
McGregor was charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief. In addition, fighter and McGregor entourage member Cian Cowley was also charged with assault and criminal mischief. McGregor, who could be facing a multi-year jail sentence, is expected to be arraigned today.
Related Resources:
- Conor McGregor Seen Leaving Police Station in Handcuffs After Assault Charges (Bleacher Report)
- Mark Hunt Sues UFC and Brock Lesnar for Fraud and Racketeering (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- Fighters Sue UFC's Owners for Antitrust Violations (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- UFC Sues New York for Ban on MMA Fighting (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)