CONOR MCGREGOR AND his entourage gatecrashed a UFC 223 media day at Barclays Center sparking unsavoury scenes backstage which left one fighter – lightweight contender Michael Chiesa, who fights Anthony Pettis on Saturday – with a laceration to his forehead.
The current UFC lightweight champion and his crew attacked a van containing several UFC fighters as it departed the arena, throwing chairs and smashing a window before security ultimately intervened and they fled the scene. It’s believed Chiesa’s injury was caused by shattered glass.
Chiesa can be heard on video from the scene asking those present: “Am I cut bad? I don’t want to touch my face.”
His coach, Rick Little, told MMAjunkie that Chiesa was “cut up”. Little, who was on the bus, gave his version of events, and suggested his fighter’s injury wasn’t overly serious:
“Conor went bananas and put a beating on the van that we were in looking for Khabib [Nurmagomedov],” Little said.
A million security guards had to restrain him. Mike’s cut up now. He’s got marks on him, for sure. I don’t think too serious. Everything happened so fast, it was just like we got jumped.
So, this is how Chiesa got cut. #UFC223 pic.twitter.com/94RF9E3EVF
— Justin Golightly (@SecretMovesMMA) April 5, 2018
@TheNotoriousMMA is about that life pic.twitter.com/kLRbMVzSzk
— joshua. (@jrsvx) April 5, 2018
Conor McGregor is making his presence felt here in NYC. Felice Herrig just posted this clip of him on IG going a little wild. 😱 pic.twitter.com/arvUJF1pV2
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) April 5, 2018
yoooooo... first time seeing this one. Conor has legit lost his mind. pic.twitter.com/XcLFd2FIMo
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) April 5, 2018
McGregor and his entourage reportedly left on foot and got in a jeep waiting near the Barclays Center.
MMAFighting.com journalist Ariel Helwani reported that UFC President Dana White was at the scene talking to police.
The NYPD have confirmed that they are looking into the incident but that McGregor has thus far not been arrested.
Many have suggested McGregor was seeking lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov, who fights featherweight champion Max Holloway for McGregor’s lightweight title in Saturday’s headline scrap.
The Russian was involved in a verbal confrontation with his compatriot, Artem Lobov – a friend and gym-mate of the Irishman – on Tuesday night.
SBG Ireland’s Lobov was also scheduled to fight at UFC 223, but UFC president Dana White says he has now been pulled from the card due to his alleged involvement in this afternoon’s events.
