Summary: In this editorial, the author says Conor's apology was fake. His main argument is if it was real, he would have apologized at the time.
Conor McGregor's Apology Was A Shameless PR Move
Conor McGregor recently sat down with ESPN to do some public relations work. McGregor has not fought since Khabib Nurmagomedov submitted him in the main event of UFC 229, which took place in October 2018. Since then it seems the only time the UFC competitor has made the news is for a violent or vile indiscretion.
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Earlier this month, TMZ released video from April of McGregor punching a bar patron in an Irish pub. The man's crime? He allegedly refused a drink from McGregor.
In a somewhat tone-deaf apology, McGregor attempted to paint himself as a victim of celebrity.
"I need to just stop reacting to the bait," McGregor told
ESPN. "People are trying to bait me into things. Am I the fish? Or am I the whale? I must be calm. I must be calm. I must be zen. I must lead by example. There's so many people looking up to me. How can I react in this way? I need to get a hold of this."
McGregor then stressed how long it's been since he was last in trouble.
"It's been, what? Five months since that one? That's it," said McGregor. "I just have to take what comes and move on. I've learned from every single experience in my life and try to do right for the people who want me to do right. … But how can they back me in certain situations? I must understand that and grow as a man and make amends."
As apologies go, McGregor's fell short. He seemed contrite when he said, "I was in the wrong. That man deserved to enjoy his time in the pub without having it end the way it did. Although, five months ago it was, I tried to make amends. And I made amends back then. That doesn't even matter, I was in the wrong."
However, when he painted himself as a victim who was being baited into reacting violently, he lost any goodwill he had earned.
The entire interview came across as a calculated PR move by McGregor, his team and the UFC. What made thing worse was the timing.
Had McGregor apologized at the time of any of these incidents, he may have earned himself some sympathy. He didn't. He waited to apologize until he learned his popularity was on the wane and that fighters such as Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz were emerging as stars while McGregor sat in the sidelines.
The sad thing is that McGregor's transparent PR ploy seems to be working. The media has gloomed onto his apology and painted it as sincere, which is exactly the way McGregor and the UFC wanted it to play out. As long as McGregor doesn't have another run-in with the authorities, the UFC will be able to slot McGregor into a high-profile fight.
As we have found out over that past few years, that's a big if when it comes to the volatile fighter.
-Forbes
