Getty Conor McGregor
UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor turned himself in to police Thursday and was arrested and charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief after he and a group of others attacked a bus and left fighter Michael Chiesa with a facial laceration, according to the Washington Post.
According to the Independent, McGregor was held overnight and remained in police custody early Friday morning as he awaited a court appearance in Brooklyn. MMA Fighting reported that Cian Cowley, McGregor’s SBG teammate, also was charged with one count of assault and one count of criminal mischief over the incident.
McGregor was led out of the 78th Precinct in Brooklyn for a court appearance Friday morning, according to video posted by New York’s WNBC. A judge is setting bail and a future court date before releasing him. You can view the video above.
An altercation at UFC 223 Media Day in Brooklyn shows the lightweight champion picking up a dolly and throwing it through the window of a bus carrying a group of other UFC fighters.
yoooooo… first time seeing this one. Conor has legit lost his mind.
On Wednesday, UFC President Dana White announced that McGregor would be stripped of his 155-pound championship belt, which he won at UFC 205 in November 2016. White also announced that the winner of the UFC 223 main event between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Max Holloway would receive McGregor’s belt.
After a profanity-laced tweet directed towards the UFC, McGregor and a group of supporters arrived at Barclays Center in New York to interrupt the UFC 223 press conference and began attacking the bus.
You’s’ll strip me of nothing you’s do nothing cunts.
Police were dispatched to Barclays Center around 1:36 p.m. ET Thursday and, upon their arrival, they were told McGregor and about 10 others “became irate and began throwing various items, damaging property at the location,” according to police spokesperson George Tsourovakas.
According to multiple witnesses, McGregor ran into the arena’s loading dock and began hurling objects at a bus, which was taking a group of UFC fighters to a nearby hotel, ESPN reports.
In a video posted by TMZ Sports, McGregor is seen lifting a dolly and throwing it into one of the bus windows. You can view the video below.
According to White, “They stormed the building, got down to the loading docks where the fighters were getting on buses and started to attack the buses with trash cans, dollies,” White said. “… This is the most disgusting thing that has ever happened in the history of this company.”
“I don’t know if he’s on drugs or what his deal is, but to come and do this and act like this? You’re talking about a guy who has a baby. He just had a kid.”
ESPN reports that UFC fighter Artem Lobov, a longtime teammate of McGregor, was part of the group that attacked the bus, according to White. Lobov was scheduled to fight Alex Caceres on Saturday but has been pulled from the event. According to MMA Junkie, White indicated McGregor’s intended target was Nurmagomedov, who on Wednesday was involved in an altercation with Lobov.
(Warning: This video contains explicit language)
According to Sports Illustrated, “reporters on the scene revealed that McGregor and his entourage threw chairs, trash cans and barricades towards busses that were full of fighters, including Nurmagomedov. Chiesa, who is fighting Anthony Pettis on Saturday, suffered a laceration on his forehead, affecting his availability.”
Conor McGregor is making his presence felt here in NYC. Felice Herrig just posted this clip of him on IG going a little wild. 😱
A combination of some of the videos taken can be viewed below.