Lockdown! Russian Thugs Surround McGregor’s Hotel

Photo by Gareth Cattermole/BFC/Getty Images for BFC

Challenge accepted!

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion, Conor McGregor, decided to waltz into Russia and talk all sorts of trash about longtime rival and Dagestani hero Khabib Nurmagomedov, who submitted “Notorious” at UFC 229 back in October 2018.

Maybe that was his way of drumming up interest in his week-long promotional tour, or perhaps he has a death wish. There’s also an outside chance that McGregor thinks this is all a game and he’s just circling the chairs until the music stops.

Whatever the case may be, some of the local residents did not take too kindly to McGregor’s criticism of Dagestan, and “Notorious” found his hotel surrounded by Russian goons ready to show him a thing or two.

From Sputnik News:

The offensive remarks prompted a crowd to gather at the entrance of the Ritz Carlton, with local media reporting that about a 100 people were gathered at the scene, with some of them fans of McGregor, while others were fans of Nurmagomedov, or Dagestanis who offended by the Irish fighter’s comments. Two men from the crowd managed to enter the building, telling reporters that they wanted to show McGregor that people from Dagestan “don’t run from him.”

The result was a “security lockdown” at Ritz-Carlton Hotel by Moscow police.

McGregor, who is probably checked out by now (both literally and figuratively) is expected to make his Octagon return in January. No opponent has been named at this time, but Nurmagomedov will likely defend his lightweight title against Tony Ferguson at some point in 2020.

Unless this happens.

As for McGregor, 31, his star has been losing some of its shine over the last year or so, thanks to his extended absence from mixed martial arts (MMA), as well as his frequent legal troubles outside the cage. Perhaps all that can change with a commanding performance in his “Sin City” return.