Steven Marrocco

MMA Junkie

UFC president Dana White compared Conor McGregor’s most recent brush with the law to a peak Mike Tyson, indicating it’s the inevitable result of a fighter’s mindset and fame.

Appearing Thursday on “The Jim Rome Show,” White said a video of Conor McGregor punching an elderly patron of a bar in Dublin is “pretty bad” and didn’t dispute the fighter’s behavior.

“Not allegedly, it’s pretty clear,” White said.

Video of the altercation from April appears to show McGregor pouring out drinks of his signature Proper Twelve whiskey when he stops beside an older gentleman. Suddenly, McGregor throws a quick left hand and is pulled outside by men who appear to be in his entourage.

As MMA Junkie previously reported, police in Dublin are investigating the incident and said no arrests have been made.

White said he was aware of the event shortly after it happened, though he cautioned he didn’t know the full story. But he cited Tyson when talking about the troubles that can follow a wildly successful fighter such as McGregor, a regular on the Forbes list of richest athletes.

“When you deal with fighters, guys who fight for a living, there’s always something,” White said. “If you look at some of the greatest — Tyson. If you look what Tyson went through in his peak, every time you take a guy who is a professional fighter and you sprinkle a ton of money on top of it, get ready. Get ready for a disaster.”

Earlier this year, in March, McGregor was briefly jailed on felony charges of second-degree strongarm robbery and third-degree criminal mischief after he was caught on video slapping a cell phone out of a fan’s hand in Miami, though the charges were later dropped when the alleged victim refused to cooperate with the investigation.

White has said he wants to see what happens in the UFC lightweight division before booking McGregor’s return to the octagon. In September, undisputed champ Khabib Nurmagomedov — who submitted the Irish star last October — faces interim titleholder Dustin Poirier. A lightweight fight between Nate Diaz and ex-champ Anthony Pettis could also provide direction on McGregor’s next move.

White said McGregor first and foremost wants a rematch with Nurmagomedov after their blockbuster showdown at UFC 229.