Dana White Says He’s ‘NOT Surprised’ Miami Heat’s Mascot Was Hospitalized By Conor McGregor’s Brutal Punch As UFC President Criticized NBA Franchise Publicity Stunt
- Conor McGregor hospitalized the Miami Heat mascot with two nasty punches
- UFC president Dana White slammed the NBA franchise for their publicity stunt
Dana White has given his immediate response to a clip of Conor McGregor punching Miami Heat mascot “Burnie” in a reported stunt last week.
The former UFC two-weight champion showed up mid court to promote his cryotherapy pain relief spray TIDAL during game 4 of the NBA Finals when he was approached by “Burnie” wearing an oversized pair of boxing gloves.
McGregor leveled the beloved white-haired character with a vicious left hook before following up on another while under house arrest.
The unnamed man in the suit was rushed to the emergency room in the aftermath of the knockout blow and given pain medication before being discharged shortly afterwards.
When asked about the incident at UFC 289 on Saturday, White told the assembled media he was “not surprised” to hear about the hospitalization.
Conor McGregor floored the Miami Heat mascot ‘Burnie’ with a vicious left hook
He then followed this up with another crushing blow to the grounded and helpless mascot
The unnamed man in the suit was rushed to the ER after the incident
UFC chief Dana White was unimpressed by the NBA’s publicity stunt and condemned them for it
“I saw Deontay Wilder’s too,” White said, referring to a 2018 video of the Bronze Bomber flooring an ESPN Nacion mascot.
What’s up with mascots wanting to get punched in the face by professional fighters?
‘What do you expect? I mean, what are those mascot things made of?
“Unless you’re the Golden Knights’ mascot — I don’t even know what he’s wearing, but I’m assuming it’s a metal helmet — I wouldn’t let professional fighters punch my face if I were a mascot.
“It doesn’t seem like the smartest thing in the world.”
McGregor will return to the UFC Octagon against Michael Chandler later this year.
The pair recently wrapped up filming for the Ultimate Fighter’s most recent series, which sees the rivals deployed as coaches before they really go down.
No date or venue has been announced yet, but McGregor must first enroll in the USADA drug testing program before being cleared to fight.