It was all fun and games for Conor McGregor and followers of the Irishman’s rapid ascension to UFC stardom until the no.5 ranked featherweight contender showed a moment of weakness and immaturity.
McGregor has captivated the world of MMA and beyond with his in-ring flair and verbal charm; however, ‘The Notorious’ loud mouth crossed the line earlier today when labeling German opponent Dennis Siver as a ‘Nazi’ via Twitter.
It wasn’t long before the prejudice jab (considered to be highly racist be many) was removed from McGregor’s Twitter (possibly by order of the UFC) and replaced with a sarcastic ‘apology’ – not without maintaining a degree of offense, and so the question remains; will the UFC punish their heavily favored big money maker?
The initial comment was an ill conceived product of an overzealous motor-mouth, but the sarcastic ‘apology’ that followed suggests that McGregor feels he is untouchable as the sport’s fastest rising star. McGregor is very much in the mainstream limelight when it comes to his home nation of Ireland, and the potential backlash could be dangerous for the image of both himself and the UFC. It would certainly be questionable if not embarrassing should the promotion opt to shy away from addressing the issue with a suitable punishment. Excusing the phrase as ‘banter’ would likely not be accepted in Germany, nor would it be laughed off by survivors of The Holocaust and WW2.
Furthermore, the ignorance in labeling Siver as a Nazi is particularly shameful when considering he is of German-Russian descent – an ethnic group who were heavily persecuted by the Nazis.
In the past, less prominent contenders have been disciplined for offensive remarks. Matt Mitrione was initially suspended and fined for comments made regarding trans-gender fighter Fallon Fox last year, while former WEC champion Miguel Torres was fired by the UFC in 2011 for posting a rape joke on Twitter.
McGregor (16-2) is currently set to face the Russian born Siver (22-9-1NC) in the headline bout of UFC Fight Night 59 on January 18 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Photo by Jorden Curran
