UFC commentator Joe Rogan had some stern words for Conor McGregor after one of the Irishman’s many controversies.
While McGregor will forever be in the history books for his accomplishments in the Octagon, much of the UFC’s first-ever simultaneous two-division champion’s career has been marred by antics away from the cage.
One of the most notable incidents came in April 2018, when he headed to Brooklyn ahead of UFC 223 in search of revenge on Khabib Nurmagomedov following the Dagestani’s altercation with his teammate, Artem Lobov.
As ‘The Eagle’ exited UFC 223 media day at the Barclays Center on a bus, McGregor attacked a bus carrying Nurmagomedov and multiple other UFC fighters, throwing a steel dolly through one of its windows.
Joe Rogan berated Conor McGregor after bus attack put Michael Chiesa in the hospital
The intended target escaped unscathed from the incident and went on to exact his revenge at UFC 229, where Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor with a face crank.
However, the situation was disastrous for a number of others on the bus, who ultimately had their scheduled fights at UFC 223 scrapped.
One of them was Michael Chiesa, who was hospitalized by McGregor’s actions after getting cut by broken glass. The Irishman faced intense criticism following the incident, which led to his arrest and a years-long lawsuit from Chiesa.
Among those publicly critical was longtime commentator Joe Rogan, who opened up the UFC 223 broadcast with a scathing assessment of McGregor’s actions.
“It’s a disgrace,” Rogan said. “It’s pathetic, it’s disgusting. I hate it.
“I hate that it happened. And I hate that it happened, caused by a guy I love. I’m a giant Conor McGregor fan, and to see him step out this badly just really, really upsets me.”
Michael Chiesa has won three fights in a row after UFC Atlanta
While McGregor continues to be involved in controversies away from the cage and makes more appearances under the BKFC banner than in the UFC, Chiesa is still competing regularly in the Octagon.
‘Maverick’ returned just this past Saturday at the UFC Atlanta event, where he defeated fellow veteran Court McGee on the scorecards after three rounds.
The result marked Chiesa’s third straight victory following submission wins against Tony Ferguson and Max Griffin.
With that, the 37-year-old has impressively won seven of his 10 fights since returning to the welterweight division in 2019, and he can now perhaps expect a chance to return to the rankings against a higher-profile name.