Out of such a nasty incident, something positive emerged.
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz went several steps too far in promoting their UFC 202 bout last August.
The pair, who had previously met at UFC 196, and their entourages clashed in Las Vegas mere days before McGregor would avenge his only UFC loss at the T-Mobile Arena. Diaz left the stage as ‘The Notorious’ arrived. Bottles of water and a can on Monster [energy drink] were flung with bemused fans and reporters caught in the cross-fire.
Diaz storms out of #ufc202 presser, starts throwing bottles. McGregor returns fire. pic.twitter.com/J7D3hngMWC
— Darragh Murphy (@DarrMurphy) August 17, 2016
McGregor was initially hit with a $150,000 fine and 50 hours of community service. That was later reduced to $25,000 and 25 hours of community service. Diaz also had his fine cut.
The Dubliner has already paid the $25k and, ahead of his August 26 bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr., he has logged all his community service time. Interestingly, he was permitted to do most of it in Ireland.
In documents obtained by The Associated Press, and reported by USA Today, McGregor talked with children and teenagers in Dublin about physical, verbal and online bullying.
McGregor gave these talks to youngsters at the Straight Blast Gym owned and run by his MMA coach, John Kavanagh. In a letter that was part of the document, Kavanagh wrote:
‘[Conor] has been showing up earlier to our kids and teens classes, to interact with them and instill values of loyalty, commitment and camaraderie… He is undoubtedly the greatest role model for the kids in our gym, and for the people of Ireland of all ages.’
McGregor has not fought since he defeated Eddie Alvarez at Madison Square Garden last November and he was back in Ireland for several months during his brief hiatus from the fight game.
His representatives must have been able to work out a deal that saw most of his community service carried out in Dublin. One hopes the children he spoke to took a lot from the interactions with an undoubted fighting superstar.
Meanwhile, Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett has stated that while the NSAC ‘in no way, shape or form condones homophobic, racist or inappropriate sexual comments’, there will be no action ‘at this point’ taken against McGregor or Mayweather for their world tour comments and antics.
