Judging by his most recent antics, it appears that Conor McGregor is ready for a return to the fight game. The Irish born fighter, who hasn't had a scrap since his rumble with Floyd Mayweather in August, has been caught up in more than one violent altercation in the last month, but his most recent tear up could have the most serious consequences. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BQJhYnPh4RT/?hl=en&taken-by=thenotoriousmma]] Police in Ireland have been made aware of allegations that Conor Mcgregor was involved in an altercation in a Dublin pub. Witnesses to the alleged confrontation have been vocal on social media when describing the brawl, which apparently took place between McGregor and three other men who are said to have close links to criminal activity. According to reports, the alleged fight took place inside of The Black Forge in Crumlin, the suburb of Dublin where McGregor is from. Lisa Leonard, one of those who claims to have been at the scene of the fight, captured a selfie with the UFC champion, saying: [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/RosssEdmonds/status/935286304903852033]] "What a w***er "Always honoured his loyalty...until tonight...he came into his 'local' and he started on some poor innocent kid. punching him. I really hope it turns out that we got the wrong end of the stick. But I doubt it". McGregor was seen by fans entering the pub on Sunday night and it is alleged that a scrap unfolded after McGregor, a younger man, a man in his 50s, and an unidentified man had a disagreement. According to the Irish Independent, the sports star attempted to assault a man in the pub, when someone tried to intervene before getting punched in the face. The man in his 50s who was involved in the brawl is said to have close links with a convicted drug dealer and is associated with an infamous gang. It is believed that they are now demanding a huge sum of money in order to prevent further violence. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/TheMMABible/status/935251423889117185]] A Facebook post describing the reported incident said: "Connor McGregor kicked off last night in Dublin thinking he was the big b*llocks and got into a fight, then battered three heavy Irish gangsters and one of their dads, who now want 900k off him. "He flew out of the country first thing in the morning. "He either pays up or pays someone to kill them or his family will probably get it haha [sic]". [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/BestMMAnews/status/935506271368810496]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/bitnch/status/935497106239913984]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/katmereMUFC/status/935465522149371909]] The Gardai in Dublin have said that they are aware of the incident, but that they have received no complaints regarding the fight and have no further comment. "There is no report on this matter and no complaint from any injured parties, patrons of the pub or the pub itself and no statements were taken." Despite there being no complaint so far, Police do believe the incident is related to another assault which was carried out earlier this month. Whether there is more to this story or not, it's pretty stupid behavior from McGregor, whatever the case. In the position he is in, he should be aware that people will try and antagonize him, it's on him not to react.

Unfortunately for Conor McGregor, recent incidents that have taken place outside of the octagon, rather than action inside it, have got people talking about him.

Most notable, of course, is the recently released video of the Irish mixed martial artist appearing to strike an older man in an Irish pub. The footage sparked outrage online, and McGregor's long time adversary in the UFC, Khabib Nurmagomedov, roundly condemned him, going so far as to say that the Crumlin-born fighter should go to jail over the punch.

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Though Conor recently took to Instagram to congratulate bitter rival Nate Diaz on his triumphant return to UFC action, he had, until now, remained largely silent on the subject of the left hand he threw in Marble Arch pub in April of this year. Speaking to ESPN's Ariel Helwani, though, the former featherweight and lightweight champ expanded on the incident, and apologised for his part in it, admitting that he was "in the wrong". Per ESPN, Conor said;

"In reality, it doesn't matter what happened there. I was in the wrong. That man deserved to enjoy his time in the pub without having it to end the way it did. And although it was five months ago, I tried to make amends, and I made amends back then. But that does not even matter. I was in the wrong. I must come here before you and take accountability and take responsibility. I owe it to the people that have been supporting me. I owe it to my mother, my father, my family. I owe it to the people who trained me in martial arts.

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"That's not who I am. That's not the reason why I got into martial arts or studying combat sports. The reason I got into it was to defend against that type of scenario. I have been continually making steps to do better and be better.

"I'm just here to own up to that and move on and carry on and face what's coming with it."

With respect to his return to UFC action, Conor said it's time for him to get his "head screwed on", and hinted at having new motivation to return to glory in the fight game after recent events;

"I have to realize that's not the attitude or the behavior of a leader or a martial artist, of a champion. I must get my head screwed on and just get back in the game and fight for redemption, retribution, respect -- the things that made me the man I am. And that's what I will do."

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The Irish fighter also revealed that he was on track to make his UFC return in July, before a broken hand suffered in sparring forced him to undergo surgery, thus putting him out of action.

He revealed that the likely opponent for that July bout was Justin Gaethje, but with that all in the past, Conor is fully focused on getting his belt back;

"In the return flight? You know, I want my world title back, and I want that redemption. The camp was incorrect. I learned so much on that. Knowing the commitment I had in that camp and knowing the performance I put on, you know what I mean?"

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If a rematch with Khabib cannot be made, though, the Crumlin-born fighter is upbeat about the other opportunities that await him across multiple weight classes;

"If you're asking me who, whoever, if it's -- if Dustin goes in and does it, Dustin. If Nate, Nate. If Jorge, Jorge. I don't know. ... I don't even know Jorge that well. I've seen the last two, and I saw the Al Iaquinta bout. But I mean anyone: Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethje, Holloway rematch, Jose Aldo rematch. There's so many belts for me Ariel, so many.

"And in reality, it does not matter who. It's just about me getting back in, and being who I am -- not a shell of myself, not half-committed."

You can read a transcript of Ariel Helwani's conversation with Conor McGregor on ESPN. The full interview will be broadcast Sunday at 7pm on ESPN2.

H/T: ESPN.

Conor McGregor has barely been out of the news of late. 2017 has been dominated by the indomitable Irishman. First came the protracted negotiations between himself and Floyd Mayweather Jr. over a fight that would become one of the richest in boxing history. Rumours seemed to circulate for most of the year before the pair finally agreed terms on a fight that would ultimately fail to live up to the ludicrous expectations placed upon it by a baying public. Mayweather finally put McGregor away in the 10th round, though has since claimed that he was forced to carry his opponent in his efforts to make the fight more of a spectacle. McGregor though, to many, held his own, surpassing the expectations of many in the boxing community who had met the fight with a derisive snort and an upturned nose. Since that fight, though, all of McGregor's headlines have been written outside the boxing ring. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BcTLvwRg-Ii/?hl=en&taken-by=thenotoriousmma]] Most bizarrely, perhaps, was the story that the Irishman was on the run from gangsters in his own country after allegedly becoming involved in a scuffle in a pub, though his father was quick to dismiss these claims, saying; "That’s all nonsense that is. Absolute nonsense. It’s an absolute nonsense story. It’s grown legs and it’s getting that ridiculous – it’s become funny. "We have nothing to fear here whatsoever. There’s no one after us for anything. We’re a law-abiding family and we’ve stayed a law-abiding family. As a matter of fact, right now I’m going out to buy my TV licence. "I’d view 95% of that story as nonsense and the other 5% is overly exaggerated. And that’s it. He’s at home with his son. We’re all just settling down for Christmas now. I’ve just got the grandson’s presents in today, they just came in from America. I’ll be wrapping them, putting them under the tree for the big day. That’s it." Then, McGregor sparked outrage along with Rita Ora, after photographs of the pair were circulated by the latter along with the caption "date night". Fans responded with fire and fury, not least seeing as Conor McGregor is in fact married with a child to someone else. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BcUKT-TB0Uj/?hl=en&taken-by=ritaora]] Rita Ora had appeared to attempt to put an end to the rumours circulating about the pair when she confirmed her romance with Andrew Watt, but now McGregor has firmly thrown the cat among the pidgeons once more, after referring to the singer in the wake of a wild night out. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BcUKT-TB0Uj/?hl=en&taken-by=ritaora]] McGregor, clearly not too bothered about recent criticisms he and Ora have faced over their snaps, apparently took over the microphone in a nightclub and exclaimed "shout out to Rita Ora" to cheers from the crowds, writes the Daily Mail. Meanwhile, it seems unclear whether the Irishman will ever get back into the Octagon, after Dana White expressed his doubts that McGregor would want to continue fighting now that he has made his millions. Only time will tell.

Footage has emerged that appears to show renowned UFC superstar Connor McGregor punching a man in a bar over an alleged whisky dispute. The clip, which was captured on CCTV at the Marble Arch Pub in April, is just the latest in a long series of incidents concerning the Dublin-born fighter. 

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According to a report by TMZ, the incident flared up after the victim refused to take part in a round of whisky shots that McGregor purchased for the bar. As TMZ put it:

"Conor walked in and lined up cups for bar patrons, looking to buy a round of his Proper Twelve [Whiskey] for everyone. The problems started when the guy opted out. Conor placed a cup in front of him not once, but twice, and he still refused."

“(It is) unclear if words were exchanged between them, but after Conor downed a shot with the other drinkers, he unexpectedly threw his notorious left fist and decked the old man who rejected the shot.”

“Two people immediately grabbed McGregor and pulled him out of the bar.”

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TMZ state that, although authorities claimed to have seen the footage and opened an investigation back in April, there is no evidence that McGregor was ever charged with a felony. It is currently unclear whether the case is still active.

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The incident in Ireland took place barely a month after McGregor was accused of taking and smashing a fan’s phone in Miami. Despite being brought up on charges of criminal mischief and robbery, McGregor eventually settled the case out of court. 

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Despite being one of the most charismatic and bankable stars in the UFC, McGregor has not fought in the Octagon since being beaten by Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov in October last year. While UFC chief Dana White has previously hinted that fans will not have to wait long for his return, this incident may ultimately end up putting another spanner in the works.

Irish UFC fighter Conor McGregor has provoked controversy after CCTV footage emerged of him allegedly punching a man in a pub earlier this year.

The video shows McGregor in an altercation with another customer while drinking in Marble Arch pub in Drimnagh, South Dublin, in April of 2019. According to TMZ Sports, McGregor allegedly punched the man after he refused to drink a round of his signature single malt, Proper Twelve, which the star athlete had purchased for patrons.

Watch the video of the encounter in the bar below:

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McGregor now faces a minor assault charge for striking the man and has apparently been summoned to Dublin District Court, where he will be fined if found guilty of the offence. Until now, the victim of the attack has remained voiceless and nameless, but now he as allegedly come forward to give his opinion on his experience.

Per Buzz.ie, the as-yet-unidentified man told the Irish Daily Star: "I am sitting on the barstool, just having a quiet pint with my friend. Then all of a sudden because I refuse his drink I get a punch. You don’t need that in life ... I can take a punch. It was sore for about a week. It wasn't killing me or anything ... I don't like the man. I think he is getting a bad rep. He is a bit of a bully, a bully with money."

Check out this incredible video of McGregor fighting 'The Mountain' from GoT:

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Meanwhile, in an interview with British tabloid newspaper The Daily Mirror, a friend of the victim allegedly stated: "He was having his pint when McGregor came in and offered everyone a drink of his whiskey. Conor insisted he take it and when he refused a second time McGregor wasn’t impressed"

They continued: "Next thing he punched him in the side of the face. He didn’t feel the pain of it at the time but the next day he was in bits. It was a proper hard hit. His face was very sore. He was very shaken by the whole thing and didn’t leave his house for days. [sic]"

Watch this video of Conor being released from jail in Miami after a prior arrest:

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Commenting on the incident in an interview with TMZ Sports, UFC president Dana White stated: "You’re talking about a pub in Ireland. Know how many guys get punched in the face every day in a pub in Ireland? Yeah, a lot."

White added: "But, this is a high-profile guy. The bottom line is when you’re not a regular guy, you’re a high-profile guy, and you’re a professional fighter, you can’t do it. That you can’t do. When you’re Conor McGregor, you can’t do it."

Watch this video of Conor McGregor destroying a fan's phone:

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McGregor himself has not yet commented on the alleged assault.