Conor McGregor in plea negotiations over his April bus attack, receives new hearing date

Paul Myerberg | USA TODAY

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BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Conor McGregor is in plea negotiations and will next appear in court on July 26 on charges related to his April rampage at nearby Barclays Center, when the former UFC champion battered a bus leaving the arena. Several rival members of the fighting circuit were on the bus, and some suffered minor injuries.

McGregor was arraigned in early April on two felony charges, criminal mischief in the second degree and criminal mischief in the third degree, and 10 misdemeanor charges ranging from menacing to reckless endangerment.

Bearded and wearing a dark gray suit, McGregor entered the courtroom here Thursday morning accompanied by his legal team, led by attorney J. Bruce Maffeo, and his training partner, Cian Cowley, who also faced charges stemming from the April melee.

"As noted in court, we have ongoing discussions with the District Attorney’s office and hope to be able to resolve this matter to both sides satisfaction by the next court date," Maffeo said.

McGregor’s court appearance took less time than most UFC fights: From start to finish, Thursday’s proceedings lasted less than a minute. He was then shuttled to the outer area surrounding Kings County Supreme Court, where dozens of local and international reporters shoved along metal barricades as the 29-year-old Irishman made his way to a series of black SUVs parked along the curb.

One McGregor fan, draped with an Irish flag, stood outside the press area holding two homemade signs. “Free Conor,” one read. “The champ does what the fook he wants,” read the other. Another bystander tried to shove through the crowd to hand McGregor a laminated picture, apparently in search of an autograph.

“I regret my actions that led me here today,” McGregor said in a brief statement. “I understand the seriousness of this matter, and I’m hopeful that it gets resolved soon.”

McGregor's attack occurred at the conclusion of media availability leading into UFC 223. It presumably stemmed from an earlier altercation between one of McGregor’s teammates, Artem Lobov, and Russian fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Conor McGregor is making his presence felt here in NYC. Felice Herrig just posted this clip of him on IG going a little wild. 😱 pic.twitter.com/arvUJF1pV2 — Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) April 5, 2018

As captured on a cell phone video of the attack, McGregor and a group of cohorts stormed a bus holding Nurmagomedov and several other fighters. McGregor is seen throwing objects at the bus, including a dolly, which shattered a window on the front left side and sent shards of glass into the seating area.

Two fighters, flyweight Ray Borg and lightweight Michael Chiesa, were injured by the glass. Neither was cleared to compete in the UFC 223 event and had their respective events cancelled.

Afterward, UFC president Dana White called McGregor’s assault “the most disgusting thing that has ever happened in the history of this company.”

McGregor was released from police custody on April 6 after posting $50,000 bond. Cowley was charged with one count of assault and another count of criminal mischief for his role in the event, and was released on $25,000 bond.

McGregor’s arrest was the latest moment in an eventful professional career, which exploded on a global stage in last summer’s bout against boxing star Floyd Mayweather Jr., which earned McGregor roughly $100 million. Mayweather won the match with a 10th-round TKO.

While McGregor hasn’t fought in a UFC event since 2016, he is expected to meet with White in the next week to discuss his return to the ring, according to a report from TMZ Sports. The two are scheduled to meet in Las Vegas, per the report, and hash out the details of a potential championship bout against Nurmagomedov.