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Francesco Facchinetti grabbed headlines after he was allegedly punched by Conor McGregor early Sunday morning at the Regis Hotel in Rome. The Italian DJ claimed McGregor lashed out at him for no reason.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Facchinetti gave an in-depth explanation of his scuffle with the UFC superstar.
"We were having a drink together and everything seemed fine when suddenly he changed. I was a few inches from him when he punched me full in the face with his right hand. I went flying backwards and crashed into a table."
Immediately after the alleged attack, McGregor was apparently taken away by two of his bodyguards. A harmed Facchinetti, with a bloodied nose and lip, later received treatment in hospital and was forced to wear a cervical collar.
Facchinetti and his wife were with American actress Bella Thorne, whom McGregor knew. The UFC lightweight met the Italian DJ after he reportedly texted Thorne and asked her to join him and wife Dee Devlin at a party.
"McGregor was very talkative chatting about this and that for three hours and the whole group was enjoying each other's company. We talked about Rome. Italy and how he was taking delivery of his Lamborghini boat. I was very friendly. He would pour me a whisky and I'd pour him a drink. It was a good atmosphere. The situation was very calm and friendly."
However, Thorne and her husband had to leave the party, after which Conor McGregor lost his cool, claimed Facchinetti.
"Bella said she had to get an early train to go to Milan for a premiere and she needed to get some sleep. I said the party could continue and would stay with my wife. That's when he flipped. He was completely out of control. He seemed like he wanted to kill me for absolutely no reason. Bella was stunned, she couldn't believe what happened."
Francesco Facchinetti filed a police complaint against Conor McGregor
When the dust had settled, Facchinetti decided to take action. He filed a police complaint against Conor McGregor and is hoping that justice will soon be served on the matter.
The 41-year-old said he doesn't want to see McGregor in prison, however, he believes jail time will make the Irishman realize his mistake.
The former two-division UFC champion is currently recovering from a leg injury he suffered at UFC 264 in July this year. He is on a six-month medical suspension, which will keep him on the sidelines until January 2022 at the earliest.
