Former UFC champion Conor McGregor broke his silence regarding the punching of Miami Heat mascot Burnie during Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
McGregor revealed that the incident that landed the mascot in the hospital was a skit.
Meanwhile, Conor McGregor on @kellymarklive on his punches to Burnie the Heat mascot:
“It was all a skit. We were backstage, all is well.” pic.twitter.com/CgqE0mN9Bh
— Will Manso (@WillManso) June 14, 2023
According to a report following Game 4, the man who plays the mascot for the Heat was taken to the emergency room of a nearby hospital for treatment. While he was sent home and reportedly doing well, it was still quite a blow that he suffered from McGregor.
Even the Heat’s Mascot Burnie took an L today, as he was ‘knocked out’ by Conor McGregor during a Game 4 timeout. pic.twitter.com/mZuI3aqC33
— hoops bot (@hoops_bot) June 10, 2023
While the event may have been planned, McGregor may have taken it too far with his punches since they actually led to an injury. Regardless, he didn’t seem worried about it when discussing the matter.
An entertaining fighter in the UFC, McGregor last fought in the UFC on July 10, 2021. He has a career record of 22-6. The star has lost four of his last seven UFC fights, but he’s still a legend in the sport.
Unfortunately for the Heat, McGregor’s show to pump up the crowd was not enough to carry the team to a win in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Miami not only lost the game, but it went on to lose the series in five games to the Denver Nuggets.
Since Miami was unable to force a Game 6, fans were unable to get another chance to see Burnie after the knockout blow delivered by McGregor in Game 4.
Even though the Heat didn’t win the title, they still had a successful playoff run, becoming just the second No. 8 seed in league history to make the NBA Finals.
The team upset the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics on its way to the Finals, an impressive feat for any team.
With the man who plays Burnie on the path to recovery, it’s possible the Heat could bring the UFC champion back for another skit in the future – as long as he reigns in the aggression.
For now, the team will focus on improving the roster in the offseason to compete for a title in the upcoming season.
