Commission Rep Says Conor McGregor Assaulted Referee, is in Talks With UFC
UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor caused a stir at Bellator 187 on Friday in Dublin, and the official in charge at the event is now pursuing further action.
McGregor was at Bellator 187 to support his SBG Ireland teammates, including main card fighter Charlie Ward. After Ward knocked out John Redmond, but before the referee and other officials could check on the health of the fighters, McGregor scaled the Bellator cage and tackled his teammate in celebration. When he did so, referee Marc Goddard had some words with McGregor and appeared to direct him out of the cage.
McGregor didn’t take kindly to Goddard’s direction and shoved him before exiting the cage.
Even after he exited the cage, McGregor wasn’t done. He could later be seen skipping around the cage and jumping back onto the fence briefly before being rebuked by another official, whom McGregor slapped across the face for trying to force him down off of the cage.
All the while, cameras were cageside, taking in McGregor’s actions.
Bellator 187 was under the regulatory charge of Mike Mazzulli, the director of the Mohegan Tribe Depart of Athletic Regulation and also the president of the Association of Boxing Commissions.
Mazzulli was not happy with McGregor's actions, telling MMAWeekly.com on Friday, “Mr. McGregor is not larger than MMA,” before issuing the following statement on Saturday:
“While the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation (MTDAR) was regulating Bellator 187 in Dublin, Ireland, on November 10, 2017, the following events took place during the Ward vs Redmond bout.
“Mr. Conor McGregor who was a spectator at the time, disrupted the event by scaling the cage prior to the conclusion of the bout. Mr. McGregor’s conduct jeopardized the health and safety of the bout participants by delaying necessary medical attention to the fighters that were injured during the round.
“In addition, Mr. McGregor assaulted Referee Mark Goddard and a Bellator staff.
“The MTDAR has been in consultation with the upper management of the UFC regarding Mr. McGregor’s inappropriate and unacceptable behavior.
“The MTDAR has also contacted members of the Association of Boxing Commissioners that have licensed Mr. McGregor in their jurisdictions to inform them of Mr. McGregor’s behavior.”
(Courtesy of BellatorMMA)
McGregor is certainly a special circumstance in this instance, not because he is the biggest star in all of combat sports, but more so because of his official capacity at the event.
Considering he was in attendance at Bellator 187 as a guest in support of his teammates and not a licensed cornerman or in any other official capacity, as Mazzulli mentioned, McGregor was basically a spectator. Obviously, being who he is and being there with his SBG Ireland team, he is more than just another spectator in the audience.
That said, it is unclear what type of ramifications his actions might trigger.
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It isn't immediately clear what regulatory sanctions, if any, he might be subject to, but he is contractually obligated to abide by the UFC's Athlete Code of Conduct, although UFC officials have yet to respond to requests for comment on the situation. He could, of course, also face any legal ramifications that he might be subject to as a spectator at the event, although no one has mentioned pursuing that course of action.
While we don't yet know what the full repercussions of his actions might be, Mazzulli doesn't sound as if he is willing to let McGregor simply walk away from the incident unfettered.
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