BROOKLYN – UFC President Dana White has no desire to be in the Conor McGregor business right now.
After McGregor’s rampage through the Barclays Center, White called the now-former UFC lightweight champion’s actions “criminal, disgusting,” and “despicable.”
White also said a warrant is out for McGregor’s arrest.
“We, as an organization, need to make sure this never happens again,” White told reporters shortly after the incident, which was caught on video by several people.
A spokesperson for the New York Police Department told MMAjunkie the police are aware of an incident that took place at Barclays Center and are looking into it. The spokesperson declined further comment.
White said employees from McGregor’s website, TheMacLife.com, let McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) and a group of approximately 30 others into the Barclays Center, and the gang “stormed the building,” throwing trash cans and dollies at a transport van filled with fighters, including women’s strawweight champ Rose Namajunas, who were leaving UFC 223 media day.
A reporter from TheMacLife.com declined to comment on the incident when approached by MMAjunkie.
White confirmed UFC lightweight Michael Chiesa suffered multiple lacerations during the incident and was sent to the hospital. Chiesa was expected to fight Anthony Pettis on Saturday, though his status is in question.
Also injured was a UFC employee who suffered a broken knuckle during the melee.
“Obviously, everybody’s shaken up,” White said. “This is the most disgusting thing that has ever happened in the history of the company.”
White indicated the incident was touched off by an altercation between McGregor’s teammate, Artem Lobov (13-14-1 MMA, 2-4 UFC), and UFC lightweight title challenger Khabib Nurmagomedov (25-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC), who is set to fight for the title McGregor was recently stripped of at UFC 223.
“And the worst part is, the women that are on the bus, they’re fighters,” White said. “Rose is a fighter and Karolina (Kowalkiewicz) are fighters, but these goons are throwing bike racks and chairs through the window of the bus and didn’t care who they hit or who they hurt.”
White said Lobov was part of the group that rampaged through the Barclays Center and won’t be allowed to fight Alex Caceres (13-11 MMA, 8-9 UFC) at the pay-per-view event.
McGregor and his group were caught on camera leaving the venue in a van. White said police are looking for the UFC star.
“His plane cannot take off,” White said. “He cannot leave the state of New York. I’m assuming if they don’t catch him, he’ll turn himself in. You can imagine he’s going to be sued beyond belief, and this was a real bad career move for him.”
Asked whether he wants to be in business with McGregor, White said “absolutely not.”
White was at a loss as to why the promotion’s biggest star went unhinged. He wondered aloud whether McGregor is on drugs.
“You don’t like Khabib, and you don’t like what happened, then fight Khabib,” White said. “You can come in here and do it legally. (Expletive), this fight is happening Saturday. We could have talked and made the Khabib fight right after. You can do whatever you want to Khabib within the limits of the rules of fighting. But you want to grab 30 friends and do what you did today? It’s disgusting.”
For more on UFC 223, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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