Advertisement

Video: Conor McGregor knocks out Miami Heat mascot at Game 4 of 2023 NBA Finals

Matthew Wells, The Blue Corner
·2 min read

(Editor’s note: Story updated at 6 p.m. ET on June 10, 2023 to include information from The Athletic’s report about the health of the man inside the mascot costume.)

Conor McGregor was in attendance for Game 4 of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets, and did more than just promote a product.

After shaking hands and laughing with other star athletes courtside like Odell Beckham Jr., McGregor got into some physical antics with Miami Heat mascot Burnie at the Kaseya Center in Miami.

McGregor’s appearance included a center court promotion of TIDL, a cryotherapy pain relief spray. However, while McGregor was doing his thing with the Miami Heat emcee, Burnie stepped to McGregor while wearing a pair of giant gold boxing gloves.

Once McGregor realized he was being challenged by the furry fireball depiction, he sat Burnie down with a left hand that nearly took the mascot’s head clean off. Burnie laid motionless on the court, and handlers dragged the unconscious 7’6″ mascot off to the locker room.

Check out video of the moment below (via Twitter):

Here’s another angle showing what the “knockout” looked like on the video board for all of the fans throughout the arena:

While the moment appeared in good fun and a typical playful shenanigan from a professional sports mascot, according to a report from The Atheltic, the man inside the costume was taken to the emergency room of a nearby hospital for treatment. The man received treatment including pain medication before being released to return home.

While McGregor has no problem throwing hands with NBA mascots, there are plenty of UFC fans who are still awaiting his return to the octagon.

The former two-division champion was a coach on the currently-airing season of “The Ultimate Fighter Season 31” opposite Michael Chandler. The pair have been rumored to fight at some point after the conclusion of the season, but there has been no date set.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie