Last week, it was reported that Conor McGregor was fined $150,000 by Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for his part in the water-bottle throwing battle he had with Nate Diaz and Co. during a pre-fight media conference to promote UFC 202 (see it again here).
But, according NSAC executive director Bob Bennett, "Notorious" was actually only fined $75,000 for his infraction. the other $75,000 is the value of a public service announcement that the mouthy Irishman will do for the commission.
"It appears the media and others got it wrong," Bennett told MMA Fighting. The NSAC head also confirmed that the $75,000 fine will not go directly to the commission, but rather to the state general fund.
Obviously, Conor was none-too happy with the fine, boasting that he gets fined more than the rest of the UFC "bums" get paid, Furthermore, he issued a challenge to NSAC, telling them "good luck" in trying to collect the fine.
Plus, he also declared that he would never again fight in the state of Nevada following after he was handed the punishment, which also includes 50 hours of community service.
All those comments weren't warranted, said Bennett, as he declared that Conor simply doesn't understand how fines and penalties work.
"I understand that he's upset," Bennett said. "I understand that he commands a phenomenal following and paydays and he's a world-renowned champ. I get that he's frustrated — $75,000 is a lot of money. But I think the remark is inappropriate. In fairness to Conor — and I say this with the utmost respect — I just don't think he understands how the system works when he's fined."
Of course should McGregor decide not to pony up the coin to settle his fine, it would likely put his upcoming Lightweight title fight against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 on Nov. 12, 2016 in New York City in jeopardy.
NSAC has often come under scrutiny for its excessive fines and penalties, including suspending Nick Diaz for five years and fining him for $165,000 for failing a third drug test last year. Eventually, the commission agreed to reduce the penalty.
All a part of NSAC trying to right the wrong, says Bennet.
"[McGregor] wasn't suspended, nor were people in either fighter's camp that participated in this," Bennett said. "The Nevada State Athletic Commission didn't go after anybody else. ... I'll be the first to say that we've got it right sometimes and we haven't gotten it right other times. When we don't, we want to right the wrong."
Now, the question remains if he lighter fine will be enough to change Conor's mind of ever fighting in Nevada.