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Referee Marc Goddard and Regulator Release Statements on Conor McGregor’s Incident at Bellator 187
As previously reported, Conor McGregor was involved in an incident at Bellator 187 where he jumped the cage and got into an altercation with a referee and Bellator staff member. You can see footage of those incidents below. Referee Marc Goddard has responded to last night’s incident with UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor in a post on his Twitter account, which you can also see below.
Goddard wrote, “I operate with integrity, belief and values. I hold MMA in a deep rooted place in my life and have considered myself most fortunate to have done so for so long. Family first. Everything else second. Respect.”
I operate with integrity, belief and values.
I hold MMA in a deep rooted place in my life and have considered myself most fortunate to have done so for so long.
Family first. Everything else second.
Respect.
— Marc Goddard (@marcgoddard_uk) November 11, 2017
Per MMAFighting.com, Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports President and Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation (MTDAR) director Mike Mazzulli also released a statement on McGregor’s actions.
The statement does not make mention of any possible punishments or reprimands for McGregor’s behavior, but Mazzulli notes that the MTDAR has been in contact with the ABC and the UFC over McGregor’s behavior. You can read the full statement below.
“While the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation (MTDAR) was regulating Bellator 187 in Dublin, Ireland, on November 10, 2017, the following events took place during the Ward vs Redmond bout.
“Mr. Conor McGregor who was a spectator at the time, disrupted the event by scaling the cage prior to the conclusion of the bout. Mr. McGregor’s conduct jeopardized the health and safety of the bout participants by delaying necessary medical attention to the fighters that were injured during the round.
“In addition, Mr. McGregor assaulted Referee Mark Goddard and a Bellator staff. The MTDAR has been in consultation with the upper management of the UFC regarding Mr. McGregor’s inappropriate and unacceptable behavior. The MTDAR has also contacted members of the Association of Boxing Commissioners that have licensed Mr. McGregor in their jurisdictions to inform them of Mr. McGregor’s behavior.”
McGregor was cageside for the event, which was held in Dublin, Ireland. Several of McGregor’s SBG Ireland teammates were in action at the event. After Charlie Ward’s knockout win over John Redmond, McGregor stormed the cage to congratulate his teammate. McGregor wasn’t a licensed cornerman for the event, and McGregor then charged referee Marc Goddard who appeared to be trying to break up McGregor’s embrace with Charlie Ward. You can check out footage of that incident below.
McGregor had to be restrained after going up to Goddard. However, the pandemonium did not end there. After the initial incident with Goddard, McGregor went back to the top of the cage and appeared to slap an official.
@TheNotoriousMMA jumps the cage for his teammate Charlie Ward and its all chaos. #MMA #ConorMcGregor #Bellator187 pic.twitter.com/gu9LZL8ORf
— Dutch Fight Network (@DutchFightNet) November 10, 2017
#McGregor going for @marcgoddard_uk mental stuff. Place went mad 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪 #Bellator187 pic.twitter.com/0yIBlcBHhN
— Anto (@Arsenal__MMA) November 10, 2017
