Man allegedly assaulted by Conor McGregor in Irish pub speaks out on the incident

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.

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."

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]"

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."