MIAMI (AP) — Former UFC champion Conor McGregor knocked out the Miami Heat’s mascot in an interlude gone awry.
Burnie – more specifically the man wearing Burnie’s costume – briefly sought medical attention on Friday night after taking two punches from McGregor during a stoppage in the third quarter Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and the Denver Nuggets.
The Heat said on Saturday that the unidentified employee was given pain medication and is resting at home.
McGregor was there as a publicity stunt for a painkiller – and was booed by crowds in Miami before it even got started. The flame mascot wore oversized boxing gloves and a robe resembling that of a fighter going into the ring for a fight. McGregor hit Burnie with a left hook, throwing him to the ground and then slammed the mascot again after it hit the ground.
McGregor then attempted to “spray” the mascot with the pain-relieving product while several members of the in-game publicity team dragged the Heat Burnie off the field.
McGregor has not fought since injuring his left leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. He achieved his last victory in January 2020.