Conor McGregor Gives Update on Miami Heat Mascot Following Punch at NBA Finals

By Brian Jones

Conor McGregor made headlines last weekend when he punched the Miami Heat mascot Burnie during Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Burnie was sent to the hospital due to the injuries suffered after the punch, but McGregor shared some good news when it comes to the mascot's health status. 

"The mascot is good. It was a skit, the former UFC champion said Tuesday in New York, per TMZ Sports. "I spent a lot of time with him afterward, we talked it out, everything is great. It was all part of the show!" The incident happened on Friday when McGregor took part in a skit for Tidl Sport recovery spay. He took on Bunrie in a boxing match, but due to McGregor's training, he hit the mascot a little too hard, leading to Burnie being sent to the emergency room where they gave him pain medication. 

"That's the Miami Heat toughness that we're talking about," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said while smiling before Game 5, per the New York Post. "[Burnie] should have been allowed to take the first swing. He can take a punch and get back up, He's not going to miss any time."

It's clear McGregor is ready to get back into the octagon, and it looks like it's going to happen soon. He is slated to fight Michael Chandler in the fall after the two are finished coaching in the current season of The Ultimate Fighter. The last time McGregor competed in a UFC match was in July 2021 when he lost to Dustin Poirier due to a leg injury he suffered in the first round. 

 "Oh, it's a beautiful game. It's a beautiful discipline," McGregor said while appearing on Fox News in March. "It can be — it can be the best business in the world. It can be the coolest game in the world. But I'm honored to be in the position I'm in. I'm super excited about getting back. I have just finished a reality show called The Ultimate Fighter. I was coaching these young fighters open — they fight for a contract with the UFC."  

McGregor won the UFC Featherweight and Lightweight Championships in his career. He the first Irish-born champion in UFC history and the third person in UFC history to win championships in two divisions. McGregor has a career UFC record of 22-6. 

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