Conor McGregor is wanted by police for questioning after he gatecrashed the UFC 223 media day and appeared to be involved in violent scenes.
A New York City Police Department spokesperson has told Press Association Sport they want to speak to the 29-year-old after a chaotic incident at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
On the day UFC president Dana White confirmed he was being stripped of his lightweight title, McGregor and an entourage turned up at a press conference for Saturday’s event, headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov and Max Holloway.
Footage quickly emerged on social media and appeared to show McGregor attempting to throw a guard rail and chairs at a bus taking fighters away from the venue.
Reports quickly said a warrant had been issued for his arrest, but a NYPD spokesperson told PA: “There is no arrest warrant, he is wanted for questioning regarding an incident that took place earlier today at the Barclays Center.”
The ugly scenes were condemned by White, a long-time advocate of McGregor’s, who called the incident “one of the most disgusting things that’s happened in the history of the company.”
Giving an interview to ESPN correspondent Brett Okamoto, White said he believed McGregor and “20 guys” were given access to the area of the arena where UFC 223 fighters were boarding a bus after the press conference.
White claimed “trash cans” had been thrown and that fighter Michael Chiesa had suffered a cut face.
McGregor initially delivered a brief and to-the-point reaction on Twitter to the news that he would relinquish his belt, before later gatecrashing the UFC 223 media day and sparking chaotic scenes.
He originally posted on Twitter: “You’s’ll strip me of nothing you’s do nothing c****” with the Barclays Center trouble following later.
Tony Ferguson, who held the interim title in his absence, has been booked to fight Nurmagomedov on four occasions, but the bout fell through again.
Nurmagomedov will face featherweight champion Holloway for the undisputed lightweight crown.
Earlier in the week, Nurmagomedov confronted Artem Lobov, McGregor’s Russian friend, teammate and sparring partner, in a New York hotel, an incident which may have provoked the Irish fighter.
White subsequently told reporters at the venue that Lobov would not be allowed to fight Alex Caceres as scheduled on Saturday.
Lroy
Guest
Hard to believe McGreggor isn't coked up to his eyeballs... simply bizarre behavior.
lao hu
Guest
someone once told me that wealth and fame tends to magnify your real character, your true self.
Davico
Guest
Guy is not the sharpest tool in the shed. Felony charge if convicted means kiss goodbye to ever fighting in the US ever again! MMA, boxing, box building, whatever!! Fighters on the bus will sue him for plenty either way and the way he has been flashing the cash I hope he saved some as US courts only take into account money earned not money spent when settling civil cases! Surely he has smarter people around him than this! And being a tough guy outside the cage to a guy from Dagestan?? Not saying that the mean streets of Dublin are not hard but seriously?? Good luck Conor! Oh and to Artem Lobov?! Guess you are planning on living in Ireland for the rest of your life. From what I hear Russians are not to fond of those who turn on their own. Braver man than me