UFC superstar Conor McGregor sparked a chaotic scene at Bellator 187 and attempted to get into a fistfight with referee Marc Goddard.
Conor McGregor‘s excitement for his SBG Ireland teammate Charlie Ward’s buzzer-beating knockout at Bellator 187 turned into a chaotic scene inside the cage.
McGregor, just weeks removed from his professional boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather Jr., sat cage-side as Ward faced John Redmond at Bellator 187 in Dublin. With seconds remaining in the opening round, Ward blitzed Redmond with a punch-filled firestorm that finished his opponent by TKO.
As Ward celebrated his performance, McGregor jumped over and sprinted across the cage to celebrate the win with his teammate. He tackled Ward to the ground as Goddard was attempting to restore order in the cage.
After Goddard told McGregor to leave the cage, McGregor followed Goddard as the referee checked in on Redmond after the TKO blows. McGregor shoved Goddard and verbally assaulted the veteran referee before security personnel eventually separated them.
It was a terrible look for McGregor while he was at the peak of his fame. McGregor also slapped a Bellator employee after his initial removal from the cage after allegedly trying to re-enter.
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Conor McGregor and Marc Goddard were involved in an all-out melee at Bellator 187
In a statement uploaded to Facebook just a few days after the incident, Goddard explained his version of events at Bellator 187.
“I was talking only to Charlie Ward at this point and you will see me put my arms between him and Conor McGregor, trying to separate and restore order to notify him to go back to his corner and continue the rest period, I was trying to communicate with Charlie Ward and then trying to tell Conor to leave, it wasn’t done yet,” Goddard posted.
“This is when Conor McGregor began firstly his verbal assault in my direction. My only thought at this point was to notify Charlie Ward, and his corner team, of my decision at the time and restore order to the fighting area.
“Of course the ensuing mêlée and confusion had completely prevented that from happening, that is the result of the actions of one man.”
The UFC punished McGregor for the incident by removing from a planned December 30th booking at UFC 219. He was originally expected to face eventual heated rival then-interim lightweight champ Tony Ferguson in the main event.
Conor McGregor and Marc Goddard had issues before the UFC star’s ascent
Before their Bellator 187 blowup, McGregor and Goddard had some history, dating back to when McGregor submitted Dave Hill at Cage Warriors 47 in 2012. McGregor scolded Goddard on social media for ‘horrendous’ and ‘crazy’ behavior linked to a mid-fight confrontation with presiding referee Neil Hall.
McGregor and Goddard haven’t shared the cage since the incident. After a three-plus years hiatus from the UFC, McGregor’s planned Octagon comeback remains uncertain.
McGregor has been linked to a potential boxing match with either Jake or Logan Paul for his combat sports return next year. He recently announced that he’s in ‘preliminary agreements’ to face Logan in the ring next year, although Jake is reportedly in the mix as well.
Goddard has become one of the top referees in MMA today and is largely respected by fighters, pundits, and fans. He’s a significant reason for the rise of MMA in the UK.
McGregor and Goddard may never see eye-to-eye, and their incident at Bellator 187 could’ve been a lot worse. But seven years later, things likely aren’t cordial between McGregor and Goddard.