Conor McGregor Is Refusing To Fight In Vegas Again And To Pay His $150,000 Fine Handed Down By The NSAC

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by Mike Bohn

UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor believes the punishment levied on him by the Nevada State Athletic Commission was way overboard, and his response will be to avoid all fights in Nevada for the “foreseeable future.”

McGregor (20-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) was issued a $150,000 fine and given 50 hours of community service for his part in the memorable UFC 202 pre-fight news conference incident with Nate Diaz. McGregor, opponent Nate Diaz (19-11 MMA, 14-9 UFC) and both their respective fight teams began tossing objects at each other inside the venue at MGM Grand Las Vegas, with “The Notorious” launching several full water bottles and Monster Energy Drink cans in Diaz’s direction.

The NSAC expressed extreme disappointment with McGregor’s part in the incident, bumping an originally proposed $25,000 fine up to $150,000, which equaled five percent of his $3 million fight purse for his majority decision win over Diaz at UFC 202.

Although McGregor, who next competes in a lightweight title bout with champ Eddie Alvarez (28-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC 205 on Nov. 12 in New York City, called into the meeting and apologized to the commission for his actions, he was still given the harsh sanction, which he admits has deterred him from competing in Nevada going forward.

“I don’t see Nevada in my future, for the foreseeable future is how I see it,” McGregor told RollingStone.com. “I’m free to do what I want. … I’m good. I’m good. New York, New York. That’s what I think.”

Additionally, McGregor didn’t exactly express interest in rushing to the bank to send the NSAC the funds they demand.

“I thought they might respect (me calling in) a little bit more,” McGregor said. “I owned up. I man’d up. I’m here. I apologized. I’m not trying to blame nobody, although they fired the rounds off first. I didn’t think they would even go that route because I didn’t think this was like a real thing. Are they going to come and arrest me or what the (expletive) is that?

“I wanted to give them the respect, and I felt they would have respected that, but they didn’t. So, whatever. It is what it is. Good luck trying to get it.”

McGregor wasn’t the only one involved in the chaotic UFC 202 news conference scene. Diaz threw the first bottle, in fact, but his hearing was pushed back to a later date, meaning his punishment has yet to be issued. Although he thinks the entire situation is somewhat absurd, McGregor said it’s only fair for Diaz to receive similar treatment, though he wishes neither side had to deal with the matter.

“I do not wish to see Nate get any more or any less than me,” McGregor said. “I don’t want to see either of us have something like this happen. But we’ll see what happens. I don’t know. If they went that way on me, I don’t know what way they’re going to go on him. He threw the bottle first, but I don’t wish he get more than me or anything like that. I just wish we’d get it sorted out and get on with it and carry on.”

Nevertheless, McGregor understands he put himself in a position to be at the mercy of the NSAC, which history has proven is somewhere no fighter should want to be. Whether McGregor pays the fine remains to be seen, but it’s clear he has no desire to compete in Nevada again.

“Respect to them,” McGregor said of the NSAC. “They wanted me to pay them and work for them at the same time. How can I not respect that? Good luck to them.”

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Thoughts?

@MikeyG Brilliant. You only forgot to slip a "I predict deez tings," in there, but perfect otherwise. 

* Edited at 10.15.2016, 2:19 AM ET *

I guess he will not fight in the Super Bowl weekend event if he keeps this up.

Honestly I dont think this impacts Conor in the slightest. He has all the power here, not the commission. He could fight the remainder of his career in Europe and make just as much money.  So I say, good for him and **** the commission.

Just pay the fine and be done with it. 

I think that Conor is in the right here as the NSAC has gone overboard on penalties and really have no idea what they are doing. They are non fighters making decisions about fighting and obviously are only interested in money.

I hope Conor does get the city to create a backlash so the NSAC is overhauled and each member is replaced with an actual combat sport expert.

I don't want any fighter to think they are above the NSAC and Conor is acting that way. If they cave in, it sets a bad precedence for future fighters. It not like he is innocent.

* Edited at 10.17.2016, 8:09 AM ET *

The commission are greedy ****s,and often wrong imo,but throwing two full unopened probably 16-24 oz Monsters into a crowd as hard as you can is pretty crazy dangerous,not to mention extremely stupid.Someone could have been seriously injured and fact that someone didn't imo is kind of a moot point.He threw them with intent to injure,too many innocent people around for that stuff.I have no problem with them hitting him with a 5% penalty considering the dangers of his actions.

Conor should not pay ****.  Commission has no ******* power and they been playing these ******* games to long.  We know they dont have the power because they originally tried 150, then immediately dropped it to 75 thousands when they got push back. That does not sound like people being on the up and up to me.  Again Conor has absolutely no reason to pay it. He can make as much money fighting in Europe. The commissions are greedy and corrupt ****s, that way over played there hand. Now they have  fighter who can make them pay for it. So power to him, make those ass holes pay, so they think twice about over playing there hand in the future.

* Edited at 10.17.2016, 2:50 PM ET *

Im with Conor on this one, **** the NSAC, they are dumb**** greedy **********es especially that ***** Lundvall. they abuse their power and they try to destroy anyone that doesnt treat them like the almighty beings some of them think they are.

I dont think this is going to affect Conor at all, this will be UFC problem, not Conor´s he´has new York now, and he can fight anywere and be a draw, Irish fans have proved time and time again they will follow him to the end of the world. that´s not gonna change soon.

I think the NSAC will be the one feeling the preassure the NV state, casinos and **** are going to put on them. they are going to loose millions so the ******* in NSAC can make their antibullying camapaign (a little bit of irony in that).

my guess is thet they gonna fina Diaz a much smaller amnount... and then cut Conor´s fine in half or some ****.

**** the NSAC

Eh, I don't know where I'm at on this ... yes, NAC are greedy bastards who are using the opportunity to get more money than they deserve out of this, but at the end of the day, Conor gave them that opportunity by being a ****. He ******* threw bottles like a punk.

Dude's been feeling like he can do anything he wants lately, showing really bad signs of megalomania (texting Bisping after him predicting Conor will lose to Alvarez and DMing Mousasi he'd kill him with a knife because he "dared" speak against him - which he didn't by the way, he spoke about the idiots who only care about that kind of stuff - are a step too far in my eyes).

So yeah, NAC are ***** but I can't say I'm too upset with Conor getting a little dose of reality. He needs to know that there are some lines "even he" can't cross.

Also, I think he's just tryinhg to strongarm them into reducing his fine. He did the same with his "retirement", if they stand their ground, he'll fight at Vegas again, mark my words.

No one needs to appear above the organization as it will then let other fighters do as they please.

Agree with all "**** the NAC" sentiments expressed herein. 

Personally dont see how anyone can support the commission when no other sport in the world drops fines like 150 grand on there athletes. Friggin NFL largest fine is not even close to that and that for second offenses. Not to mention many of them make more then conor.

* Edited at 10.18.2016, 1:23 PM ET *

@Yoss oh I agree Conor f´d up big, the moment I saw he grabbed that can I knew fines were coming his way. he deserves to be punished, Diaz too. but the punishment the NSAC gave him is just crazy there´s no reason for it. and decent campaigns cost money is one of the stupidest reasons they could have chosen. That is proof that they dont follow a standard they act as they need and please, and that just cant happen, **** needs to be done about it.

on your point about Conor, yeah hes gotten out of control, he believed his own character. now there´s no character, there´s just Conor and he is nuts.  

Oh yeah, they're complete ***** and I totally saw this coming ... the minute they had a fighter who makes REAL money in their grasp I could see their little dollar-boners erecting from a mile away.

I just think, Conor, he used to be brash, ****y, confident, but he still kept a level of genuinity, a level of respect, every now and then he'd go into these little introspectives in interviews that really intrigued me, made me have something to relate to along with his skillset which I simply adore.

But lately, he's just lost any grasp of reality. He's too reactive, he's too emotionally invested in the wrong "dream" (at least from my stand point and what I relate to, as far as he's concerned he's losing the "real fight fans" to the millions of "I TRANE UFC BRO" fans and that's a good thing for him). He's trying to force greatness and do it fast, he's lost all respect to any part of the sport that doesn't involve him and he truly believes he's transcended to the point where no one can say anything wrong about him nor discpline him when he's being a ****. 

He wasn't like that to start off with so even though I'm by no means backing NAC for being greedy bastards, I'm not going to cry foul about the fine either. He constantly boasts about how much money he makes, money this, money that, look at my cars, my watches, my suits, my mansions, so since a guy I'm really a huge fan of has gone into Kanye-land and abandoned what I like about him I don't mind if that's where he gets hurt (sort of, because $150K barely tickles his wallet, it's the principle of "someone daring to touch the king" that's making him so furious, which is exactly what's making me want him to get fined so much).

cant argue with that

Yoss, good post.  You are seeing the BS that McGregor is. I saw it a long time ago.  The thing is that the UFC let it go too far.  He is not even close to as good as they make him out to be.  They put him against guys who he can beat or they will have an excuse for if he loses.  I don't blame McGregor for using it to his advantage but this complex he seems to have is stupid.  The worst part if the fair weather fans who think he is the best.

rappinpapp, you've completely misunderstood me mate.

I don't think he's BS at all and I think he's much better than "they think he is" (for instance I think his grappling is completely underrated among other things).

I just think somewhere along the line he lost his way, stopped being a martial artist and started being a rockstar. He started off trying to take over the game, achieve great things, but based it on a true love of the purity of the sport and loved how a fight developed. There was a journey to be made both inside and outside the cage.

But then the 1st round KOs came, the money, power, fame came and he started taking shortcuts (both inside and outside the cage) and bit off more than he can chew and is now stuck inside this "Conor McGregor phenomena" and doesn't have time to be himself anymore. He's become very paranoid and thinks that anyone who isn't behind him 100% is against him and wants to see him fall. It's not surprising, very few can deal with getting so much so fast and I don't blame him for it, I just can't relate to it that's all. 

But if you think for an instance that any of this would have happened on verbal skills alone without any real and special gifts inside the cage you're dreaming. In my opinion he's as good as advertised if not better, I just have a feeling he won't be able to realize that potential due to everything else that's happening and the whirlwind he's stuck in. If this were a movie, we're in the first half of Rocky 3, except in real life you don't lose everything, go back to basics and come back to win it all. What usually happens is you burn out, the fans, promotion and media find a new toy and you spend the rest of your life trying to re-invent yourself and fail repeatedly with "the best you that's ever been because you've fixed <<currrent generic excuse for previous failures>>"

I'm still a full blown Conor nuthugger, even if I can't listen to what he has to say lately.