For all the titles, knockouts and big-money pay-per-views, one of the most defining images of Conor McGregor’s career didn’t come inside the Octagon.
It came in the loading dock beneath New York’s Barclays Center, where the UFC superstar hurled a metal dolly through the window of a bus carrying bitter rival Khabib Nurmagomedov and several other fighters.
UFC 329: McGregor v Holloway 2 | SUN 12 JULY 11AM AEST | Conor McGregor is back. The Irish superstar takes on the always dangerous Max Holloway in a rematch 13 years in the making | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Eight years later, as ‘The Notorious’ prepares for his long-awaited UFC comeback against Max Holloway at UFC 329, the infamous bus attack remains one of the most controversial moments in MMA history.
Here’s how at happened
THE RIVALRY
By early 2018, tensions between McGregor and Nurmagomedov had been simmering for a couple of years.
While McGregor — who had become the UFC’s first two division champ — had spent much of 2017 pursuing his blockbuster boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather, Nurmagomedov had quietly emerged as the UFC’s best lightweight.
Following his submission win over Michael Johnson at UFC 205 in New York, the undefeated Russian called out the Irish superstar.
“Your guy, beginning of the year, he tapped like a chicken. End of the year, he fights for the title. Crazy,” Nurmagomedov told the Madison Square Garden crowd.
“Irish only six million. Russian, 150 million. I want to fight with your chicken.”
The pair also had a brief but heated backstage confrontation that same night, with McGregor later dismissing ‘The Eagle’ as “a pull-out merchant” over his history of injuries and cancelled fights.
But the rivalry truly exploded during UFC 223 fight week in April 2018.
Just days before the event, Nurmagomedov confronted McGregor’s good mate and training partner Artem Lobov at the fighter hotel in New York.
Lobov had recently labelled the Russian a “coward” in an interview, accusing him of repeatedly withdrawing from fights.
“Who is the chicken here? Who is afraid?” Lobov had told media.
“Conor shows up every time no matter what. He’s a true fighter. He’s a true champion.”
When the pair crossed paths during fight week, footage emerged of Nurmagomedov confronting Lobov before appearing to slap him in front of onlookers.
Within hours, the video had gone viral.
Less than 48 hours later, McGregor had seen the incident and was on a private jet bound for New York.
THE INCIDENT
McGregor and several members of his entourage headed straight for Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, where fighters had just finished media obligations ahead of UFC 223.
As athletes boarded buses in the loading dock beneath the arena, McGregor and his group charged towards the vehicles, pounding on the windows and demanding Nurmagomedov “get off the bus”.
Moments later, McGregor grabbed a metal equipment dolly and launched it at one of the buses, smashing a window and sending glass flying as fighters scrambled for cover.
Among those on board was Holloway, who was originally scheduled to challenge
Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title before being ruled medically unfit just days before the bout.
“We were on the other bus. I didn’t even know it was Conor,” he told The MMA Hour.
“People were yelling, ‘It’s Conor! It’s Conor!’ And I was like, ‘I don’t see him.’ When we saw the video, the guy who was running around and stuff was Conor. I was watching him do the crazy stuff. I was like, ‘Oh, man, that’s pretty nuts.’
“Imagine if they did show up to the media event. I think it would have been even more wild.”
Michael Chiesa suffered multiple facial cuts after being struck by flying glass and was ruled out of his fight with Anthony Pettis.
In footage captured from inside the bus, a bloodied Chiesa can be heard reacting in disbelief as he looks at the damage around him.
“What the f**k,” he says, with blood running down his face.
Ray Borg was also forced to withdraw from his fight after suffering an eye injury, while Rose Namajunas later revealed the incident left her so shaken she considered pulling out of her title defence.
“I don’t think he really meant to break the bus [window] with the dolly,” said Holloway.
“I think that he was shocked that he broke it because when I was watching, he actually picked up a metal trashcan, and he put it down, and he grabbed a plastic trashcan, and he threw that instead. That was after he threw the dolly.”
READ MORE:
‘Best Conor yet’: Icon’s huge call on ‘changed man’ McGregor… and 13-year score to settle Full stacked card locked in for blockbuster McGregor return: Everything you need to know
THE FALLOUT
Within hours, New York police had issued an arrest warrant for McGregor.
UFC boss Dana White was furious.
“They stormed the building, got down to the loading docks where the fighters were getting on buses and started to attack the buses with trash cans, dollies,” White said.
“This is the most disgusting thing that has ever happened in the history of this company.”
McGregor later surrendered to authorities, appearing in handcuffs before a Brooklyn court.
He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, avoided jail but was ordered to complete community service and anger management.
The incident damaged McGregor’s reputation in many ways, but it also supercharged his already fiery rivalry with Nurmagomedov.
Six months later, the pair finally threw down inside the Octagon at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, headlining what was then the biggest pay-per-view event in UFC history.
The Russian controlled most of the fight before forcing McGregor to tap to a neck crank in the fourth round, successfully defending his lightweight strap.
UFC 250: Full Wrap of crazy freedom card | 03:13
Yet even then, the bad blood between them refused to die.
Moments after the submission, Nurmagomedov jumped over the Octagon fence and charged at members of McGregor’s team, sparking an ugly brawl.
Eight years on, there is still no love lost between the pair with both men continuing to occasionally trade shots on social media and in interviews.
LEGACY IMPACT
The bus attack arrived at an interesting point in McGregor’s career.
He was at the absolute peak of combat sports fame and fortune, having become the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two divisions at the same time just a couple of years earlier.
Then came the big-money boxing match with Mayweather – an event that turned McGregor into a global sporting icon.
For years, the Irishman’s trash talk and theatrics had been seen as part of the show. But the bus attack felt different for fans. The drama had moved to the real world.
And it would not be the last time McGregor found himself in hot water away from fighting.
In the years that followed, a string of controversies continued to follow the superstar, adding another layer to his complicated legacy.