UFC lightweight champion
Conor McGregor apologized this week for his use of a homophobic slur backstage at a recent UFC event.
During an appearance on RTE One's
The Late Late Show, McGregor said he used the word in the heat of the moment while consoling teammate Artem Lobov following Lobov's loss to Andre Fili at UFC Fight Night 118 on Oct. 21.
"I witnessed him lose a ... potential career-ending fight in a manner where the opponent was stalling and running away and I was upset," McGregor said. "I was whispering in his ear and speaking on that and I said what I said. I meant no disrespect to ... [anybody in the] LGBT community."
Soon after the fight card from Gdansk, Poland—which aired exclusively on the UFC's digital streaming service—a video emerged of McGregor and Lobov walking backstage after the fight. McGregor leaned close to his ear and repeatedly used the slur during a conversation he apparently thought wouldn't be overheard.
"I thought you were going to sleep him," McGregor said to Lobov. "All I'm saying, he's a f----t. I never knew he was a f----t."
