Conor McGregor Sent Heat Mascot to Hospital With Mean Left Hook

Conor McGregor, like many other famous people, was in attendance for Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Miami last night. Unlike all those other famous people, McGregor managed to get the Heat’s mascot sent to the hospital.

During the third quarter of the home team’s 108-95 loss to the Denver Nuggets, McGregor was brought out to… spar, I guess, with Burnie, the Heat mascot. Part of a promotion for McGregor’s new pain relief product, the MMA legend punched Burnie in the face with a hard left hook and then hit him again while he was down.

Everybody assumed it was all for show, but McGregor’s punches landed hard enough that the man inside the mascot had to go to the hospital after the game. Per Sam Amick of The Athletic:

MIAMI — As if losing Game 4 of the NBA Finals to the Denver Nuggets wasn’t tough enough on the Miami Heat, it turns out the man who plays their beloved mascot, Burnie, was taken to the emergency room of a nearby hospital for treatment after being leveled by former UFC champion Conor McGregor on Friday night. According to a league source briefed on the matter, the man was given pain medication by the doctor and has since been sent home and is doing well.

The skit was clearly by design, as Burnie had confronted McGregor while wearing gold boxing gloves, but the excessive power behind the MMA fighter’s punch did enough damage that medical treatment was deemed necessary.

Since the guy is alright we can laugh at the absurdity of Conor McGregor going too hard during what amounts to a live commercial, right? Just couldn’t let up. Not even a little bit. He simply had to punch the mascot for real, and it turns out normal people are not nearly as well-equipped to take Conor McGregor punches to the face as actual fighters. Even with a big fluffy head cushioning the blow.

Glad the mascot is okay. The Heat should probably relax on fake fight bits, though.