Conor McGregor Will Reportedly Not Face Jail Time for UFC Event Outburst

Conor McGregor’s plea deal in the case of his New York City assault could reportedly keep him out of jail, and allow him to avoid deportation.

The UFC legend was arrested back in April when he chucked a hand cart at a bus full of other MMA fighters. He injured three people, and was charged with felony mischief and three counts of misdemeanor assault. According to a new report by TMZ Sports, McGregor is in the final stages of settling a plea deal with the city over the case.

First of all, insiders say that prosecutors are likely to offer McGregor probation in place of jail time. If he had been convicted of his charges as they stand, he could have spent seven years in prison. It is unclear how long the 30-year-old will have to be on probation to make up for that.

In addition, prosecutors have reportedly agreed to reduce McGregor’s felony charge to another misdemeanor. This will allow the Scottish fighter to stay in the country, as felonies are generally grounds for deportation. McGregor’s livelihood lies in the UFC, and he would have a hard time competing full time if he were barred from the country.

Of course, nothing is set in stone yet, and McGregor’s attorneys and representatives are still ironing out the “fine points” of the deal with prosecutors, sources said. Either way, McGregor’s court day is on Thursday, which means there is not much more time for negotiations.

The question remains as to what kind of future McGregor can hope for in the UFC after this outburst. Two of the fighters he injured in his outburst were pulled from their upcoming fights, representing a big loss for promoters.

In addition, UFC President Dana White appeared on ESPN’s Get Up! shortly after the incident, and he said that he did not plan on helping McGregor out of this jam.

“Normally, yes, I would dive right in and do everything in my power to help one of my guys. But not in this situation,” White said back in April. “He came into the Barclays Center, attacked our fighters and attacked my staff with a bunch of guys. No, you don’t get my help on this one.”

He also assured fans that the attack was not a publicity stunt to draw more attention to McGregor or the other fighters.

“This is the last stunt on Earth that we’d ever pull,” he said. “This is embarrassing for the sport and obviously for the UFC. This is the furthest thing from a stunt. This is bad.”

Still, many assume that White will allow McGregor to continue competing in the UFC following this debacle, despite his harsh words.