Joe Rogan calls Conor McGregor rampage 'pathetic, disgusting;' Jimmy Smith makes salient point

Give the UFC commentators some credit. Right off the top of the UFC 223 prelim broadcast on FS1, they addressed the Irish elephant in the room, and in language that left little doubt as to how they felt about Conor McGregor’s backstage rampage Thursday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“It’s a disgrace,” longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan said at the opening of Saturday night’s broadcast.

A graphic on the screen referred to it as the “Conor McGregor Melee” and detailed the circumstances of the three fights that were scratched from the UFC 223 card as a result.

The injuries to Michael Chiesa and Ray Borg were particularly upsetting to Rogan, who noted that it was “all because Conor McGregor decided to make a show of it and throw a dolly at a bus filled with his fellow fighters.”

“It’s crazy,” Rogan said. “It’s pathetic, it’s disgusting. I hate it. I hate that it happened. And I hate that it happened, caused by a guy I love. I’m a giant Conor McGregor fan, and to see him step out this badly just really, really upsets me.”

But it was the newest addition to the UFC broadcast team, former Bellator commentator Jimmy Smith, who made one of the most salient and overlooked points about the whole incident, pointing out how McGregor’s actions had not only hurt people, but also stolen attention from fighters who had worked hard to be on this card.

“It’s taken something that was supposed to be about the fighters, the people competing, the people who had trained to be here tonight, it’s taken the focus away from them,” Smith said. “That’s the biggest tragedy.”

And, regardless of how you feel about McGregor himself, it’s hard to argue with that point. Three fights called off at the last minute, and several more fighters forced to deal with the completely unnecessary fight week stress of having shattered glass go flying past their heads, and for what?

Apparently so McGregor could make a show of his rage at Khabib Nurmagomedov, the person who seemed the least bothered by it all. And if he was looking for sympathy, he’s not going to get it from the UFC’s on-air talent.

For more on UFC 223, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.