UFC 202’s Conor McGregor reacts to wild bottle-throwing press conference: ‘It was all in self defense’

Moments after the final UFC 202 press conference ended abruptly this afternoon when Nate Diaz walked off the dais and threatened Conor McGregor from the stands inside David Copperfield Theater at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, resulting in a bottle- and can-throwing war, several fans on social media hailed it as a “brilliant” move to get inside the head of the trash-talking Irishman.

That’s because McGregor was more than 15 minutes late, drawing the ire of company President Dana White. McGregor had his excuse (traffic), but before McGregor could get into a groove on the stage, Diaz vanished from his seat and began to roll out of the venue prematurely with his older brother, Nick Diaz, and the rest of his crew in attendance. It didn’t take long for McGregor to lose his mind, leaping from his seat to hurl cans at the Stockton squad before security was able to push them out the door.

“It was handbags — if they want to fight, let’s fight,” McGregor told Lance Pugmire after the incident. “I just saw bottles being thrown and I was like, ‘really? fuck that, if you want to throw bottles, I’ll throw cans.’ It was all in self defense. I was scared for my life [just kidding]. Yeah, it was probably [staged by Nate Diaz].

White immediately ended the press conference, apologizing to those in attendance and then helping escort “Notorious” behind the curtain. The time for talking — one of McGregor’s most valuable psychological weapons — is now, apparently, over before it ever really began this week. And it’s all because Diaz wanted it that way.

“I’m good, [it won’t affect me],” McGregor assured the reporter backstage. But, no one will really know for sure until the cage door closes — and then re-opens — on Saturday night.

Moments after the final UFC 202 press conference ended abruptly this afternoon when Nate Diaz walked off the dais and threatened Conor McGregor from the stands inside David Copperfield Theater at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, resulting in a bottle- and can-throwing war, several fans on social media hailed it as a “brilliant” move to get inside the head of the trash-talking Irishman.

That’s because McGregor was more than 15 minutes late, drawing the ire of company President Dana White. McGregor had his excuse (traffic), but before McGregor could get into a groove on the stage, Diaz vanished from his seat and began to roll out of the venue prematurely with his older brother, Nick Diaz, and the rest of his crew in attendance. It didn’t take long for McGregor to lose his mind, leaping from his seat to hurl cans at the Stockton squad before security was able to push them out the door.

“It was handbags — if they want to fight, let’s fight,” McGregor told Lance Pugmire after the incident. “I just saw bottles being thrown and I was like, ‘really? fuck that, if you want to throw bottles, I’ll throw cans.’ It was all in self defense. I was scared for my life [just kidding]. Yeah, it was probably [staged by Nate Diaz].

White immediately ended the press conference, apologizing to those in attendance and then helping escort “Notorious” behind the curtain. The time for talking — one of McGregor’s most valuable psychological weapons — is now, apparently, over before it ever really began this week. And it’s all because Diaz wanted it that way.

“I’m good, [it won’t affect me],” McGregor assured the reporter backstage. But, no one will really know for sure until the cage door closes — and then re-opens — on Saturday night.