Conor McGregor is once again in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons after he was accused of sexual assault following an appearance at a Miami Heat game during the NBA Finals.
At this time, no charges have been filed against McGregor, and his attorneys have vehemently denied the allegations. They called a demand letter sent by the accuser’s lawyer seeking a settlement in lieu of litigation as nothing more than a “shakedown.”
McGregor has dealt with numerous sexual assault allegations over the past few years, though he hasn’t officially faced any charges yet. UFC vet Matt Brown nevertheless questions why the former champ continues to get in hot water.
“My big question — is Conor putting himself in these positions where people have the opportunity to make these types of allegations?” Brown said of McGregor on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer. “In my opinion, not that I’m one to tell anyone how to live their life, but I would lay low if I was him.
“If someone is making these allegations, that means at minimum, there are people around that had the opportunity to make these allegations. At least in the same room that he was speaking to, or hanging out with, or something. It has to be a minimum at that.
“If he’s not in the vicinity of these women, they can’t make these allegations. But if they’re even in the vicinity, then that potential [exists], especially if he’s partying or doing whatever he’s doing, being a wild man or whatever. Now, you have the potential for these allegations.”
Brown obviously can’t make any judgment about what did or didn’t happen with McGregor in Miami, but he is troubled by the fact that these allegations continue to bubble up.
Since 2018, McGregor has been arrested at least twice and also faced assault charges after punching a man in a Dublin, Ireland, bar. He allegedly attacked an Italian musician, who filed charges against him in Rome.
“I have no idea if he did it or not, no one here is making allegations or accusing anyone of anything, but the fact that you’re even in that situation where they have the potential to [make those claims], someone’s not advising you the right way,” Brown said of McGregor. “Someone’s not having your back. Someone is not telling you the right things that you need to be doing.
“If I were advising him, which I’m not and never would — I’d advise him to fight me if I advise him of anything — but if I was, I would say keep the f*** out of those situations. What are you doing around other women anyway? Why do they even have the chance to say this s***? We can’t say this enough. Why are you even in this situation where it’s a possibility?”
Brown has stated as recently as May that he doubted McGregor would actually return to the UFC and fight again. As of now, McGregor still hasn’t officially booked his next bout, though a showdown against Michael Chandler was expected after they squared against each other as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 31.
With these latest allegations swirling overhead, McGregor is once again caught up in controversy without any clear signs of when he might compete.
Add to that, Brown questions how dedicated McGregor remains to the sport, especially if he’s out partying rather than putting in the necessary hours to prepare for his comeback.
“Even if he does somehow fight again, which again I’m not confident in, I’m like 80-20 he’s never fighting again, but even if he does, we have a decent idea of the lifestyle he’s living,” Brown said. “He’s not going to get in there and get grimy again. He’s not going to do that underground, hardcore training where he’s getting f****** pounded everyday, and he’s working his way out of bad positions. I just don’t see that.
“We could be wrong. We have no f****** clue truthfully, but I don’t see it. All we can go by is what we see in the news and the media, and I don’t think anyone would disagree. We don’t see it at all.”
If there’s any doubt in Brown’s mind about McGregor’s future, the Irish star’s love for the spotlight assured him of a return. That alone might bring him back, but otherwise, Brown wonders if the MMA world has seen the last of McGregor in the UFC.
“I have a hard time believe he’s just going to fade away,” Brown said. “He’s always going to be in the news. He loves being in the news. I think he loves his name being out there. Whether he actually comes back and fights is a completely different story.”
