Frank Mir: Conor McGregor’s UFC 223 actions dragged MMA back to ‘thug’ status 59

When mixed martial arts came into the scene, it was perceived as more of a form of blood sport. It was commonly associated with barbarism, which led to its banning in major regions in the United States in the early 90’s.

The sport eventually gained respect through the 2000’s, as it slowly but certainly moved towards being recognized as a legitimate sport. But once in a while, there would be instances like Conor McGregor’s UFC 223 bus attack that would bring back some of that negative stigma.

This is the problem that former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir sees throughout the entire ordeal, especially since McGregor is one of the most recognizable figures of the sport.

“Seeing Conor do that, on a personal note, it bugs me,” Mir told FanSided. “The guys like me, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, we fought for years to not be considered a thug, and now you’re going to drag us back in. You are the most famous guy in our sport, the richest guy, the most notable character.”

“People judge us [fighters] by our most notable face.”

While the state of New York took action by slapping “The Notorious” with three counts of assault along with one count of criminal mischief, the UFC will likely be sweeping the incident under the rug. This is another issue that Mir has, as he feels it could be a precedent to other young fighters to act the same way if triggered.

“The problem is we have all these young guys and women watching him,” Mir said. “Like anything in life, you sit there and go ‘How did that guy get those shoes? Well, I’m doing this. But how did I get those shoes? Well, you have to follow this.’ We’re a pack mentality.

“So with Conor being the most famous face and you give him a slap on the wrist, how do you deter other guys going down this path?”

McGregor turned himself in a few hours after the incident but was released the next day after posting a $50,000. He is set to appear in court on June 14^th.