Conor McGregor issues statement on Bellator 187 incident

Conor McGregor has broken his silence on Friday’s controversial incident in Dublin, Ireland.

McGregor jumped into the cage at Bellator 187 to celebrate SBG teammate Charlie Ward’s TKO victory over John Redmond. McGregor, who was not a licensed cornerman for the bout, then got into an altercation with referee Marc Goddard, and slapped a Bellator employee after McGregor was removed from the cage, before he left the scene.

In the aftermath, there have been calls for the UFC lightweight champion to be disciplined. Mohegan Sun Department of Athletic Regulation director Mike Mazzulli, who oversaw the Bellator card, said the UFC pulled McGregor off UFC 219 due to the incident, a claim McGregor’s agent, Audie Attar, denied.

On Tuesday, McGregor gave his side of the story on Instagram.

“I sincerely apologize for my behavior at last weekends fight event in Dublin,” McGregor said. “While trying to support a loyal teammate and friend, I let my emotions get the best of me and acted out of line. As a multiple weight UFC champion, executive producer, role model and public figure, I must hold myself to a higher standard.”

McGregor also issued apologies to several specific people involved in the incident, with Goddard a notable omission.

“I sincerely apologize to the Director of the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation, Mike Mazzulli, all the officials and staff working the event, [coach] Andy Ryan and his fighter John, two stonch ones that put up a great fight every time. That side will always have my respect, and lastly every one of my fans.”

You can read the full Instagram post below: