UFC President Dana White thinks Miami Heat mascot Burnie shouldn’t have provoked Conor McGregor at the NBA Finals.
McGregor sat courtside to watch Game 4 of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat this weekend. A slew of other celebrities were in attendance to watch the pivotal game in Miami.
In the middle of the action, McGregor got the opportunity to promote his new pain relief spray in front of the sold-out crowd. In what was intended to be a light-hearted moment with a mock fight, McGregor punched the Miami Heat mascot with a devastating left hand.
Watch Conor McGregor collapse the Miami Heat mascot, Burnie, on the hardwood below.
According to reports, the person in the mascot costume was rushed to the emergency room with injuries but has since been released. He is reportedly in good spirits following the incident.
Dana White To Miami Heat Mascot: What Did You Expect?
During the UFC 289 post-fight press conference, White weighed in on Conor McGregor’s recent incident.
“What’s up with mascots wanting to get punched in the face by professional fighters?” Dana White said. “What are those mascots made out of? Unless you’re the Golden Knights mascot…I wouldn’t have professional fighters punching me in the face if I’m a mascot, doesn’t seem like the brightest thing in the world.”
Conor McGregor is expected to make his UFC return in the coming months against Michael Chandler. He hasn’t fought since a doctor’s stoppage loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
Conor McGregor and Dana White have had an amicable relationship since the Irishman’s UFC debut. White helped co-promote the infamous ‘money fight’ between McGregor and Boxing Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
Luckily, the mascot’s injuries were treated swiftly and no further harm was done. But, White feels the idea of an average human squaring up with McGregor isn’t a bright one.