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Conor McGregor has seen a meteoric rise unlike any other in the history of UFC, and as such has seen himself become the richest Mixed Martial Art Fighter in the world. UFC has directly benefited from his rise as well, with the interest in the 'Notorious One' bringing in a lot of spectators for their product.
McGregor's tenure in UFC has seen a rise in the product's value as well, and while the company is grateful to him, being so closely associated with McGregor has not always helped them. On many an occasion, being associated with McGregor saw the company being drawn into some controversy or other due to the antics of the former Champion.
Currently, Conor McGregor is set to face the Russian UFC Lightweight Champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. With his return to the Octagon after two years away from UFC less than a month away, UFC once again finds themselves being looked at askew by many for his inclusion in their card.
While it would be a lie to say that his return to the card is not one of the most anticipated moments in the UFC currently, the company might also prefer that the 'Notorious One' keeps himself away from any controversy for the time being at least.
In this article, we will take a look at 3 different occasions, when Conor McGregor's antics saw him getting dragged into immense amounts of controversy.
#3 UFC 202 Pre-Fight Scrap
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz had one of the most heated rivalries in the UFC for quite a long time. On the first occasion that the two came face to face, Diaz handed McGregor a defeat, submitting him with a Rear Naked Choke.
At UFC 202, the two were set to square off for the second time. At the pre-fight press conference, the two of them exchanged words, and in the middle of the heated banter, Nate Diaz got up and walked off the stage, leading Conor McGregor to shout slurs after him, berating him and his team.
His team did not take this well and started to pelt him with water bottles on stage. McGregor, never one to take anything lying down, retaliated in a manner suiting his temperament. He picked up water bottles and cans and threw them off the stage as well, while Dana White pleaded with him to restrain himself.
In the end, the incident caused a rift between him and the Nevada State Athletic Commission and he was also fined $150,000 while being sentenced to 50 hours of Community service for his behaviour, something that he did not take well.
You can see it here. Diaz walks out at around the 20-minute mark and it all goes downhill from there..
#2 Assaulting Referee Mark Godard
Conor McGregor stirs up controversies in promotions that he is not even signed to, such is the talent of the fighter, and the tendency to cause chaos wherever he goes.
When Conor went to Bellator 187, to support his teammate, Charlie Ward's, first fight, then no one had expected that it would turn out the way he did. In the first round, Ward landed a heavy blow on the face of Redmond. The referee stepped between them, and to everyone, it appeared as if the bout had come to an end.
Unfortunately, it was later revealed the referee was only stepping between them to signify the end of the round.
Conor McGregor, thinking that his friend had won, jumped over the top of the cage into the Octagon to celebrate. The referee ended up going up to inform him that the match was not over, but upon being touched, McGregor was immediately enraged and pushed away Godard. He then pushed away all the other officials who came to restrict him as well.
The bout had to be ended due to the chaos, as McGregor acted like a violent child throwing a tantrum instead of trying to understand the situation.
#1 Throwing A Dolly at a Bus
The worst controversy that Conor McGregor got himself embroiled in, is also the most recent one. When Khabib Nurmagomedov threatened and harassed a friend of Conor's he expected the UFC to take action against the Russian fighter. Unfortunately, this did not happen.
Whereas others might have tried to reason with the higher-ups, Conor McGregor showed the restraint of a starved lion yet again. This time he, along with several of his friends from his Irish gym flew to the site of the press conference prior to UFC 223 to confront Khabib.
When he finally got near Khabib, the fighter was in a bus along with other UFC fighters. McGregor threw a metal dolly at the bus window trying to get at Khabib. The dolly broke the bus window and the glass scattered inside.
The glass injured two fighters badly enough that they had to be pulled from their fights at UFC 223. Conor found himself in a court, where he was given 3 days of anger management, as well as Community Service.
No matter what the situation, Conor McGregor has never behaved like a role model to anyone in his life. He has gone out of his way to do whatever he wanted, no matter if it was proper, or even legal. With the upcoming fight, McGregor may change his ways if he wins the Championship, but such a situation is highly unlikely.
What do you think of Conor McGregor's actions and controversies? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
