UFC star, Conor McGregor has regained his freedom on $50k bail on Friday evening after appearing in a New York City courtroom on charges of assault, following a violent backstage fracas after a press event at UFC 223.
The 29-year-old appeared before the judge in a navy, long-sleeved polo shirt, which he had been wearing the night before. This is as Independent reports it.
He is charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief, after the altercation in a parking lot at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn which left two UFC fighters injured.
A video of the incident that has long gone viral appears to show McGregor and a large group of men throwing a metal sack trolley at a coach window, in an apparent attempt to reach long-term rival Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Instead two other fighters – the Americans Michael Chiesa and Ray Borg – were injured, both suffering lacerations as a result of smashed glass. Both of their fights were canceled as a result of their injuries.
McGregor last fought in the UFC in November 2016, when he defeated Eddie Alvarez to win the lightweight belt, becoming the first man to simultaneously hold world titles across two weight divisions.
However, he never defended his title, instead choosing to stage a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather in August 2017, which he lost.
McGregor also faces the possibility of several lawsuits from those he injured on Thursday night, as well as those who stand to lose out financially.
The police are going to take care of Conor,” UFC president Dana White commented after the altercation.
“The police are going to handle Conor, and I know a handful of people here already that are filing lawsuits against Conor McGregor. God knows how many lawsuits he’s going to have by the time this is done.
“What happened today was criminal, disgusting, despicable, makes me sick, and we as an organization need to make sure that this never happens again.”
The UFC also published a short statement promising that disciplinary action would be taken against McGregor in due course.
