Opinion: No More Free Passes for Conor McGregor

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

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Conor McGregor was found liable for sexual assault in a civil suit in his home country of Ireland last week. The alleged assault took place back in December 2018. For his part, McGregor didn’t deny that a sexual encounter had occurred—he even insinuated that the intercourse was “athletic, physical”—but stated it was consensual.

McGregor has received some backlash as a result of the decision. Many fans have taken to social media to declare they’ve given up on supporting the biggest MMA star in the world. Perhaps more damaging, McGregor has lost several sponsorships. IO Interactive has decided he’s no longer going to appear in the company’s latest installment of the long-running video game series “Hitman.” That’s on top of stores claiming they won’t stock any beer or whiskey brand associated with him. As a result, Proper No. 12, the whiskey brand McGregor helped create, severed its relationship with him.

As McGregor faces the sting of the decision, there are two important things people need to keep in mind. First, civil courts, both in the United States and Ireland—and in several other countries—do not require the same burden of proof as criminal courts. Whereas criminal court requires the proof to be beyond a reasonable doubt, a civil court only requires it to be proven via a preponderance of the evidence. In layman’s terms, if just over half of the evidence is against McGregor, the jury could find him at fault. In other words, there’s still room for doubt regarding McGregor’s guilt. Second, I can’t help but wonder: It took this to turn on McGregor? I’m not saying sexual assault isn’t reprehensible—it absolutely is—but have all these fans and sponsors not paid attention to anything else in McGregor’s past?

There’s no doubt that McGregor came close to crippling several people. You all know what I’m talking about, right? That time he attacked the bus carrying fighters when he was trying to get at Khabib Nurmagomedov prior to UFC 223? McGregor threw a dolly at the bus, smashing windows and cutting the faces of several competitors in the process. Ray Borg and Michael Chiesa were forced out of their contests due to the injuries from the glass. Chiesa’s injuries were fortunate to have been superficial cuts to his face, but there was serious concern about Borg’s eye for a time.

All of that happened because Nurmagomedov and his entourage punked McGregor’s then-friend, Artem Lobov, a day or two before the bus attack. Some have argued McGregor deserves some slack, as all he was doing was defending his friend’s honor. I counter that he’s in the business of punching people in the face in a cage and simply could have asked for a fight with Nurmagomedov as soon as possible. McGregor had the cachet to ask for a fight with anyone he wanted and it would have happened. Instead, he threw a tantrum and put the long-term health of several members of the UFC roster at risk. Had things been different, he could have ended their careers and greatly hampered their ability to work in other fields due to the injuries they might have sustained. Yet many gave him a pass, especially the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the legal system. McGregor pleaded no contest, at which point he was sentenced to five days community service and forced to attend anger management classes. With such a light sentence, I have no doubt McGregor believed he was untouchable. He could do anything he wanted and just get a slap on the wrist. His actions following the bus incident only further strengthened my belief.

Remember the time he smashed the phone of a fan in 2019? He punched an older gentleman in a bar because he didn’t want a shot of Proper No. 12 that McGregor offered him, also in 2019. There was the Italian TV personality who alleged McGregor punched him in the face in 2021. His driving record is also indicative of someone who believes he’s invulnerable. It’s not like the civil case that was just decided is the only accusation of sexual impropriety leveled at him, either. For two days in 2020, McGregor was detained on the island of Corsica for indecent exposure and sexual assault, though a lack of evidence prevented criminal prosecution. Despite it all, McGregor was rewarded by becoming the highest-paid first-time actor for his role in the “Road House” remake. Shortly after being cast, he was accused of attempted rape following Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Miami in 2023. I can’t guarantee McGregor did anything wrong with those sexual allegations, but it’s a pattern that’s hard to ignore.

I’ll be the first to admit that McGregor is an entertaining person. I’m not just talking about the spectacular moments he has enjoyed within the confines of the Octagon, either, though there’s no denying he has produced more than his share. I’m talking about his cheeky one-liners, as he has authored some of the most memorable quotes in the history of MMA:

• “Who the fook is that guy?”
• “It’s Red Panty Night!”
• “I’d like to take this chance to apologize... to absolutely nobody!”

There’s no better way to win people over to your side than to consistently put a smile on their face and make them laugh. McGregor knew that when he touched down in the UFC and exploited it in a way no one else ever had. Is this where we’re at, though? We’re willing to give serious infractions a pass because he entertains us? Evidence indicates we sure are. The UFC and those who have used McGregor in their advertising can’t be solely to blame. While it’s morally questionable that they’re willing to put McGregor out there for the almighty dollar, where do you think those dollars are coming from? The UFC and those who slap his face on their product wouldn’t put up with his antics if the fans didn’t reward them—and McGregor—so handsomely with their hard-earned cash. Maybe if he showed some genuine contrition, it would be a different story, but I haven’t seen it.

Perhaps if McGregor had been dealt a punishment that was actually fitting of his crime when he attacked the bus, this may have been avoided. I’m not just talking punishment in the legal sense, either. We won’t ever know for sure, but rewarding his bad behavior got us to this point. I’d say the time to change strategies has long since passed, but it’s better to do it late than never.