Conor McGregor accused of ‘assaulting’ Heat’s mascot as social media users call for charges

Conor McGregor is no stranger to public controversy and the ‘Notorious’ fighter landed himself in further trouble during the NBA Finals on Friday evening.

McGregor punched the Miami Heat’s mascot, Burnie, in the snout in what appeared to be a bit – with the costumed creature wearing gold boxing gloves.

The fighter sent him to the ground with a punch that left Burnie motionless – but McGregor took things a step further and hit the mascot again.

This second punch sent the mascot kicking his feet and rolling in agony as his handlers checked in on him and McGregor winced in self-awareness of his actions.

That sent the man inside the costume to the hospital, but according to Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra, the worker will be able to return soon.

Conor McGregor’s punches on Burnie – the Miami Heat mascot – has social media buzzing

The MMA fighter took part in a staged incident with the mascot – but the punches landed hard

‘That’s the Miami Heat toughness that we’re talking about,’ Spoelstra said Sunday, adding, ‘We won’t reveal who that is, but yeah, he can take a punch and get back up. He’s not going to miss any time.’

In the aftermath of this incident, some social media users have wondered why McGregor hasn’t been charged with assault – with one on Twitter asking why he’s still allowed in the United States. 

‘I know this was part of a bit but Connor [sic] McGregor has had so many encounters with the law over issues of violence that I’m perplexed as to how he is still allowed in the US,’ wrote one user on Twitter. 

‘The @MiamiHEAT should have @TheNotoriousMMA arrested for assault,’ wrote another user. ‘He beat up poor Burnie the mascot. Hey Conor, it was supposed to be a skit, not a scrum. What the hell is wrong with you? Get well, Burnie.’

‘Why isn’t McGregor charged with assault?,’ asked another. ‘Also, why is any team having anything to do with that guy? He has a long history of assault. He’s the definition of a thug.’

‘What? That’s assault,’ yet another user wrote. ‘Using real punches instead of pulling them is a horrible thing to do. And they let him just keep sitting there instead of telling him to leave when he punched a person who is part of the organization.’

Some on social media are wondering why McGregor hasn’t been charged with one asking why he’s still allowed in the country after a long string of violent incidents in the United States

McGregor’s representatives issued no comment to Mail Sport. 

Back in April 2018, McGregor attacked the bus his rival Khabib Nurmagomedov was on during a promotional event leading up to UFC 223 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Nurmagomedov allegedly had an altercation with Artem Lobov, who is close to McGregor.

The Irishman threw a metal dolly at a bus window – which led to two other fighters being injured in the incident.

Poll

Should Conor McGregor be charged with assault?

• Yes 1133 votes
• No 249 votes

McGregor had a warrant issued for his arrest – leading the MMA champion to turn himself in to New York Police.

He went on to be charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief. McGregor made bail, pled no contest, and was ordered to attend anger management classes and perform five days of community service.

McGregor was at the center of another incident in March of 2019, when he was arrested outside a hotel in Miami after destroying the cell phone of a fan taking pictures of him.

McGregor lunged at the fan, grabbed his phone, and smashed it on the ground with his feet.

That led to more charges of criminal mischief as well as a strong-armed robbery charge and a civil lawsuit from the fan involved.

However, it’s important to note that the lawsuit was dropped and no criminal charges were filed against him.

Back in April 2018, McGregor attacked the bus his rival Khabib Nurmagomedov was on (left). In March 2019, he was arrested outside a hotel in Miami after destroying the cell phone of a fan taking pictures of him (right)

McGregor was booked in Miami in 2019 but a lawsuit was dropped and no criminal charges were filed

McGregor has also been involved in some scuffles which have not resulted in police action – such as an altercation with musician Machine Gun Kelly at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards in Brooklyn again. 

The Irishman also has a number of alleged incidents on his rap sheet from outside the USA. 

Some, such as an arrest on the island of Corsica under suspicion of sexual assault and alleged attack on a yacht in January have led to either no charges or charges being dropped.

Two other incidents involving McGregor – a sexual assault accusation in Ireland  December 2018 and a Rome assault on Italian musician Francesco Facchinetti – are still under investigation.