Updated at 15.10
CONOR MCGREGOR HAD reportedly been earmarked — but not confirmed — for the UFC’s end-of-year show in Las Vegas on 30 December.
But the Dubliner’s bizarre intervention at a Bellator event at the 3 Arena on Friday night means he’s lost his place on the card, according to Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports.
Mike Mazzulli, who was ringside on Friday night in Dublin’s docklands, says he has spoken to several UFC officials about the incident.
McGregor, illegally charged in to the octogan after his SBG teammate Charlie Ward defeated John Redmond before clashing with the referee Marc Goddard as well as security staff.
The UFC will be keen to, at least, be seen to take some action against the Irish fighter, though not appearing on a UFC 219 card will not go far enough for many observers of mixed martial arts.
“Mr McGregor is not bigger than MMA. We all know that,” Mazzulli said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour yesterday.
“Mr McGregor may not be around in five years, but MMA will still be here. I think that’s very important to understand that fighter safety is the most important thing in the world because without fighter safety, this sport would not proceed to the next level like it always has.
“After the event, I had some executives from UFC contact me within two hours after what occurred. And they basically said to me that it was completely unacceptable in their eyes and that they will be doing something. They did inform me that he was set to be on the 30 December card and he will not be on it. So I do commend UFC to some extent for doing that.”
“Now on the other hand I will be speaking to my attorneys on my return.”
Mazzulli continued: “I’m never comfortable when someone takes it upon themselves to act like a five-year-old and jump in the cage. The bottom line is he was unprofessional, disrespectful and it was not acceptable in my eyes.”
It remains to be seen what actual punishment the UFC will actually take with their brightest star.
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They really need to make an example of their golden boy
@Joseph Bloggs: please stop reporting on this coked up clown!
@Marcodub: is he a cooked up clown?
@Marcodub: exactly
@Marcodub: a lot of people saying he was coked up. Is there any evidence of this? The most likely reason for his behaviour is because he’s just an a**hole.
@Les Wynan: Its an oddly specific rumour that is the focus of many comments. Ive no idea if hes on anything or just drunk, but for his sake i hope he is, because his behaviour was a disgrace if sober
@Les Wynan: he was seen/recorded outside saying he was wired afterwards
@Marcodub: slander
@Les Wynan: a coked up a**whole
He was probably never going to fight on December 30th. UFC probably just said they dropped him from the card to make it seem like he’s been punished.
@Marcodub: I would like to think his blood is under such scrutiny that he wouldn’t be able to use drugs. I know it doesn’t spend a long time in the system but to be reckless enough to take the chance. It is most likely just a stunt to keep his name in the press.
@Carlin Ite: Recreational drugs arent tested for out of competition, which makes JJones and Nick Diaz getying caught all the more absurd
I’m a massive McGregor fan but that kind of behaviour is unacceptable on any level. I believe he should be stripped of his lightweight championship.
@Damien Naughton: I think that’s his plan. He’s made his big payday, now wants to break his contract. Will forever be known as the man who was given a shortcut, but never defended a title.
@Gulliver Foyle: He cleaned out the Fweight division, How is that a shortcut? So was GSP given a shortcut last week after a four year absence? You know nuttin’
@Ciarán: cleaned it out yet I’d too afraid to defend it, save with his LW title. Paper champion in both respects.
Defend it and stop running like a wimp.. khabib, Ferguson and holloway all waiting!
@Ben L: fair enough he cleaned it out ! But never defended the belts when it comes to legit mma goats, he’s ruining his chances by chasing money
@Ben L: don think he would stand a chance with khabib, he would wrestle the shi.t out of him, but he could rock him like Johnson did and I do think Conor has more ko power than him
@Ciarán: cleaned out? Appeared in 2 UFC main events, one with a last minute Mendes before a title shot and has to this day only fought 2 of the top 10 featherweights, and then got a lightweight title shot after a non ranked fight with low ranked featherweight Diaz. He is talented, but unproven.
@Ciarán: and yeah gsp was obviously given a massive shortcut for ppv buys, like McGregor. Both of which, as #2 and #3 in the latest pound for pound rankings (having fought one each in the let two years) is a joke. But hey, fook that if you are a one man fan boy, nothing can change your mind.
@Gulliver Foyle: I have a respect for men who fight and Mcgregor also fought Mendes on short notice, Im not defending his actions but to discredit his achievements is not called for. He also beat Holloway already for the idiot who said he was running from him with a done in knee.
that’s bs. he was never going to fight on that date. how could he when he has been on the lash for 3 months. the UFC just made that up retrospectively.
@Minom Pnom: Agree, from all the previous talk it seemed like the ufc wanted him to do it but he wouldnt commit. It makes it difficult for the ufc to justify him being their champion when he hasnt competed once in 2017. Now they can make the excuse that he wanted to but was banned
@Minom Pnom: Exactly. Dec 30th is only 6 weeks away.
@Lionel Nashe: so much for the “always ready to fight” bs. A year to get ready – he’s no Nate Diaz/ mendes/bisping who are always ready to step up.
@Rudiger McMonihan: the UFC has less credibility than FIFA. pathetic bs to try to salvage the situation in some way by making this up. McGregor is a bigger fraud of course.
@Gulliver Foyle: Mendes, seriously, you know he is suspended for doping?
I would have loved to see McGregor on the December card but how could we now after making an absolute mule of himself at bellator. I think the clever witty business man is somewhat on the wane now and he is on the top of the slope to a steady decline. I noticed on his recent late late interview he came across different. Gone is the ambitious ,witty and hungry fighter. Replaced with a fame obsessed unsure man who has somewhat lost his way. Money and fame do eventually change you, like it or not.
He may however have given himself some time with his antics as I don’t see him troubling Tony Ferguson.
Silly thing to say, McGregor may be an idiot but to say he won’t trouble someone who gets hit as much as Ferguson does is very silly and ridiculous.
@fella la fella: Ferguson not even good enough to beat an unfit McGregor.
If I support a d*ckhe@d … what does that say about me. I guess it wasn’t just show biz after all.
Its a pity he is not quick enough to jump into the octagon and defend a belt…
Its a shame that theres so much focus on McGregor as a celebrity in Ireland, as now most people just think the UFC is like WWE. Practically every other champion is respectable now. And by far the most impressive is GSP, who could not be more of a gent.
@Rudiger McMonihan: GSP has class, unlike the guy who did the full skanger mode run across the bellator cage to push the ref the other evening.
GSP was accused of cheating before by using vaseline in a fight. He went running when USADA started testing. Might be bit of an act himself.
@Kobe: VASELINE??? Really. VASELINE….. get a grip.
@Enda McCallion: That’s the whole point; it’s impossible to get a grip!
Video on YT of Dana White ringside post a GSP fight castigating him for it.
There was no evidence of the vaseline and the running from USADA is BS made up by Bisping. Part of the reason GSP stepped away was because he wanted more testing done. USADA came in way after GSP left and after they did he started talking about returning
They would be punishing him more by making him fight
Fair play to that judge in the car fraud case. Sur its the culture
The face of MMA is now the face of MDMA!
Can we have one katie Taylor article for every mcgregor article just so people can get more perspective on what being a real athlete and role model is about.
He will do more harm to MMA than the good he did for it here. Not many parents will want their children in a sport that produces that type of character.
@Seán Dillon: thank you for that comment. I am an ex boxer and have been an MMA fan for a long time. My daughter has been doing Jiu Jitsu since 3 YO (now 8). I was accused of being unpatriotic a few years ago for making the same point….meaning, I watch MMA with my daughter but have to turn off or hit the mute button if MCG is on due to both language and behavior and was/am highly critical of him for his ego. That said, did a rewind of Assuncao pulling his punch several times for her the other night…..
Conor makes me ashamed, not proud. Irish or not.
w
Well he wanted out of a fight and he got out of a fight. Job down.
Do they do testing for drugs on these athletes?
Something strange happening here all of his supporters must be keeping low disgusted with his antics. While everything is going good for him he is all smiles but as we seen in that video when things go wrong then watch out .
@Alan Scott: maybe the penny has finally dropped and they realise what he was all along.
didnt see that one coming at all!!
A looney
Lay off the powder Conor for god sake
He is an out and out knacker who is not in it for the sport but for the celebrity
Just goes to show you can’t buy class with all his money got from not fighting but talking Shi*e
Cheal sonnen called this the day after it happened,
https://youtu.be/HbY1YCXBoJU
He was not on the card for December to begin with.
Ah..he looks great in a suit though
@Barry O Rourke: a fur-lined hoodie (as sported on Sat when he #peta on an instagram post – classy again!) is more his natural environs attire tho.
@Minom Pnom: hes just the peoples clothes horse
Great job no title defence Conor sure is going to be upset.. ffs he’s a prima Donna not a fighting champion, a Kardashian UFC type.
It’s all part of the entertainment drama. Inside and outside the enclosure.
Classy dude,,!!
McGregor was never slated for that card..if he was promotion would be well under way UFC wanna be seen to be disciplining McGregor when in truth Dana DO NUTHIN!
@Michael: it’s not Dana whites call.
Cocaine is a marvellous thing
I know for a fact Conor McGregor regularly uses coke. It’s ugly
F**k the loss
F**k the loss.