McGregor Slams China Over Substandard COVID-19 Supplies

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Conor McGregor is putting everything on hold in order to assist his country of Ireland with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion is certainly keeping busy to stay in shape and ready to return to the Octagon, but that hasn’t stopped “Notorious” from playing a major role in Ireland’s self quarantine efforts. McGregor, who is no stranger to social media campaigns, released an official COVID-19 lockdown address just last week.

Now, McGregor is stepping up and pointing the finger at China, who provided substandard COVID-19 supplies to Ireland earlier this week. Most of the supplies, which include Personal Protective Equipment such as masks, visors, gloves, ventilators, and respirators, were inspected and sent to the most needed areas in Ireland. The rest of the equipment was inspected and deemed “not to the specification required,” according to HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid.

Those items will not be sent to healthcare staff in desperate need around the country and that immediately sparked a response from McGregor, who donated over a $1 million out of his own money to help with the outbreak.

“Truly horrendous. Not only are the prices being raised by these people on all our items. Masks, visors, gloves, ventilators, respirators, oxygen containers, screen monitors, you name it. All jacked in price. The batches coming in are now of no use! Ludicrously inhumane behaviour,” wrote McGregor via Twitter.

McGregor, who has quickly become a voice of reason in Ireland during the widespread coronavirus surge, also took aim at Irish politician Leo Varadkar after he thanked Chinese Premier Li Keqiang for the supplies earlier this week. “Notorious” even offered a clever wordplay on “Flatten the Curve.”

“Take back this thank you and offer of assistance, this instant! It is barbaric what has been done here,” wrote McGregor via Twitter. “All the way throughout this pandemic. Barbaric! #FlattenTheirNose.”

Finally, McGregor called for his own country to start producing much-needed COVID-19 equipment for all of the “neglected front line staff” combating the vicious outbreak.

“We need Irish produced equipment items and we need it yesterday. Western produced at the least,” wrote McGregor in his final tweet. “Please if you can assist, enter here and join the fight to support our neglected front line staff. They do not deserve the treatment they’ve received over the years. Ireland stand up!”

With the coronavirus expected to get worse over the coming weeks we should see more input and criticism from McGregor as he tries to soften the blow in Ireland. But once this COVID-19 pandemic finally dies down fight fans can count on “Notorious” returning to the Octagon in quick fashion.