Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor back in court to negotiate a plea for his Brooklyn melee
The UFC star expressed regret for his part in a backstage fight in April, for which he is facing assault charges
The Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor returned to court in New York on Thursday and expressed regret for his role in a melee at an April event to publicise a series of Ultimate Fighting Championship fights at a Brooklyn arena.
The 29-year-old former lightweight champion and his co-defendant and fellow Irish fighter, Cian Cowley, 23, were negotiating a plea deal over assault and criminal mischief charges stemming from the fracas, prosecutors said at a brief hearing in state Supreme Court in Brooklyn.
Judge Raymond Rodriguez adjourned the case until July 26. McGregor, dressed in a tailored dark check suit and striped tie, walked out as photographers pursued him to a waiting vehicle.
“I regret my actions that led me here today,” McGregor, one of the UFC’s most recognisable stars, told reporters outside court afterward. “I understand the seriousness of this matter and I am hopeful that it gets resolved soon.”
Video footage of the melee in an underground parking area at the Barclays Centre arena appears to show McGregor and his entourage using a metal barricade and other objects to smash windows on a bus filled with fighters leaving the media event.
