If you have booked flights to New York, you should not go cancelling them just yet.
The New York State Athletic Commission is relatively fresh to dealings with mixed martial arts but it is keen to show it will not tolerate rowdy antics around fights and wilfully ignoring any future fines and suspensions it may hand down.
For that reason, the NYSAC has issued a strongly worded statement about the $75,000 fine Conor McGregor received after his bottle-throwing actions at the UFC 202 pre-fight press conference on August 20.
The Notorious was slapped with the heavy fine and given community service, by the Nevada Athletic Commission, after admitting to the commission that he had far overstepped the mark during the press conference [aerial] back and forth with Nate Diaz and his entourage.
McGregor told Rolling Stone magazine, soon after the decision, that he wished the commission luck in trying to get that money from him. He also suggested that fighting again in Nevada was not in his “foreseeable future”.
The NYSAC must issue McGregor, and all UFC fighters, a licence to compete at November 12’s UFC 205 event at Madison Square Garden. The commission issued the following statement to MMA Fighting last night:
‘The NYSAC is aware of the Order issued by the NAC. Conor McGregor has not yet completed his application to the NYSAC for a license, nor, to our knowledge, has he agreed to the fine levied by Nevada or exercised an appeal. It is also our understanding that the time within which Mr. McGregor may seek a legal challenge to the Nevada Order has not yet expired.
‘An administrative fine without a concurrent suspension is not a mandatory bar to licensure. The NYSAC expects its licensees to resolve disciplinary actions and comply with lawful final orders issued by the states in which they have chosen to compete, and will be closely monitoring this matter.’
As statements go, it is strongly worded but there are two points that suggest McGregor will be granted a licence to fight UFC Lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez next month. McGregor may yet appeal the NAC decision and the commission in New York has no grounds to suspend the Dubliner for not paying a fine issued by another body.
It appears to be business as usual.
In the words of McGregor about the NAC and their hefty fine – good luck trying to get it.
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