UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor received a $25,000 fine from the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Wednesday for his role in an altercation with opponent Nate Diaz during a UFC 202 press conference in August.
Damon Martin of Fox Sports reported the decision, which includes 25 hours of community service. Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting confirmed the news. It’s a reduced punishment after the NSAC originally fined him $150,000 with 50 hours of community service before allowing another hearing.
Diaz appeared on a balcony while McGregor was giving his press conference ahead of their welterweight clash at UFC 202 in Las Vegas.
After exchanging some verbal jabs, Diaz threw a bottle in the direction of the Irishman, who responded by hurling bottles in the opposite direction. UFC president Dana White attempted to stop the fracas before deciding to call off the session.
Alex Courtney of TalkSport passed along a statement McGregor made during the first hearing about the incident back in October:
I just want to apologize for the incident. It was a very unusual incident as I saw it unfolding even. I just acted wrong, and all I can say is I’m sorry and I will learn from this.
This fight had everything on the line for me. This was the highest stakes fight I’d ever been in. I was in a different mind-set. So all I can do is learn from it and learn to handle myself better if I find myself in a situation like that.
I just want to own up and apologize for my part and say that it will not happen in the future. That’s really all I can say.
MMAjunkie noted McGregor earned a $3 million payout for UFC 202, according to the NSAC. Diaz took home $2 million, so the main-event counterparts combined for $5 million of the $6.1 million in purse money for the entire card.
McGregor earned the victory by majority decision to avenge a submission loss to Diaz in March 2016, which marked his first MMA defeat since 2010.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com