Conor McGregor: Ten of the Irish UFC fighter's most outrageous moments
Sport

Conor McGregor: Ten of the Irish UFC fighter's most outrageous moments

HE’S not nicknamed ‘The Notorious’ for nothing, and this week Conor McGregor’s reputation remained intact following a $150,000 fine from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The punishment, which also includes 50 hours of community service, relates to McGregor’s actions in August at a press conference ahead of UFC 202 when he lobbed bottles of water at opponent Nate Diaz, who was stood at the back of the room.

But it’s just one of many incidents that has courted worldwide attention upon the charismatic Dubliner.

Here, in no particular order, we re-count his 10 most notorious moments to date.

The bottle-throwing incident

We may as well begin with his most recent escapade.

Here’s what cost McGregor five per cent of his latest fight purse ($3million) following a victory over Nate Diaz at the second time of asking...

Bizarre rant about being pictured wearing a poppy

McGregor took to Facebook to vent his anger at those who criticised his decision to wear a poppy in public, saying that he didn’t need “a stupid little flower” to illustrate his national allegiance.

Poses nude for sports magazine

ESPN Magazine’s Body Issue featured McGregor training in the nip earlier this year.

The Irishman appeared along with several high-profile US athletes in the American sports mag, but his poses attracted more attention than others.

 Posing with a gun on Instagram

Gardaí investigated this photograph McGregor posted on social media site Instagram.

The picture appears to show the Irishman posing with what is thought to have been a replica gun, whilst wearing a balaclava.

McGregor later apologised for his actions, citing an upcoming film role as his reason for posing with what he claimed was an Airsoft BB Gun.

“I apologise for having the air-soft in public. I was simply rehearsing for a potential upcoming film role,” he wrote on Instagram.

Put the fight game in the bag and step away from the vehicle.

A photo posted by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on

Steals Jose Aldo Jr’s belt at a pre-fight press conference

The UFC 189 world tour had reached its last stop of Dublin - the hometown of McGregor.

Challenger McGregor ended up stealing former champion Jose Aldo's belt after the Brazilian claimed he was 'the king of Dublin'.

Wins the biggest fight of the year inside 13 seconds

Thousands of Irish fans travelled to Las Vegas to see McGregor challenge Aldo Jr in December 2015.

But before they knew it, the Irishman had dropped the long-time champion, rendering the Brazilian defenceless, forcing the referee to wave the fight off within 13 seconds.

Takes on 'The Mountain' from Game of Thrones

The fearless Irishman knows how to attract publicity, and that was surely the motive for filming this sparring session with giant Hafthor Bjornsson, A.K.A ‘The Mountain’ from Game of Thrones.

Momentarily retires from the MMA after UFC spat

McGregor was initially pulled from his re-match with Nate Diaz for failing to fulfil media duties, which led to a breakdown in his relationship with UFC president Dana White.

‘The Notorious’ subsequently claimed he was now retired, sparking headlines worldwide, but eventually performed a U-turn.

Shocks the UFC industry by taking up Nate Diaz re-match

After stepping up two weight classes to fight late substitute opponent Nate Diaz, McGregor suffered his first UFC loss in the shock of the year.

Although it seemed Diaz was naturally too big for McGregor, the Irishman took the biggest risk of his career by demanding a re-match.

He heroically won a points decision when the pair met again.

Diaz, left, recovered from a bloody first round to win in the second [Picture: Inpho] Diaz, left, was too big and strong for McGregor first time around [Picture: Inpho]

‘Who the f**k is that guy?’

UFC press conferences that involve McGregor are usually dominated by their biggest star, and when others try to steal his sunshine, the Dubliner tends to put them back in their place.

Just ask Jeremy Stephens, who was humiliated by McGregor after suggesting he would prove the Irishman’s toughest ever opponent.