Conor McGregor's representatives have reacted after the UFC star was arrested for attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition for an alleged incident in a bar.
McGregor was questioned while in police custody on the French island of Corsica. The former lightweight and featherweight champion has been preparing for a 180km voyage to raise awareness for water safety.
He was due to get the event underway today but had to pull out because of the complaint made against him. But The Notorious firmly denies any wrongdoing, with his representative saying: "Conor McGregor vigorously denies any accusations of misconduct. He has been interviewed and released."
A statement from the Bastia prosecutor's office to AFP news agency read: “Following a complaint filed on September 10 in which events that could be classified as attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition were denounced, Mr. Conor Anthony McGregor was the subject of a hearing by the gendarmerie services, in custody police."
McGregor retired from the UFC this summer and proposed to long-term girlfriend Dee Devlin.
It is the third time the 32-year-old has called time on his MMA career and there are rumors he could return.
The Irishman has not withdrawn from the USADA drug-testing pool and was paid a surprise on his yacht visit earlier this week.
McGregor last stepped into the Octagon in January when he knocked out Donald Cerrone inside 40 seconds.
A possible rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov, who he lost to in 2018, has been touted.
And the Russian's head coach Javier Mendez believes the pair's fierce rivalry could continue further down the line.
"If I'm the UFC and I'm the president, I'm not going to let that fight off the table," the American Kickboxing Academy head coach told Express Sport.
"Especially if Conor wants to fight and Khabib is still the champion. Then you can make that fight.
"I wouldn't let them [not fight]. That's my job, right? To make the most money for the company."
Khabib's immediate focus is on his lightweight unification title fight against Justin Gaethje on October 24.
Conor McGregor receives instructions to secure Khabib Nurmagomedov rematch
Conor McGregor has been told by Khabib Nurmagomedov how he can land the rematch he so desperately craves. The bitter rivals, 32 and 31 respectively, locked horns with one another in October 2018 in the main event of UFC 229 in Las Vegas.
McGregor, who was fighting for the first time since his much-maligned boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, came up short in his bid to reclaim the lightweight title he was stripped of in April 2018, suffering a fourth-round submission defeat to his successor at the summit of the division. Revenge has been of the mind of 'The Notorious' ever since that fateful night at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena, which ended in a mass brawl. Nurmagomedov, however, has had no inclination to give his adversary a shot at redemption. But should the Irishman face and defeat his former opponent Dustin Poirier - the No.2-ranked 155-pounder in the world - Nurmagomedov would consider running it back.
Let him come back defeat Dustin Poirier, then we will fight with him - no problem. Khabib Nurmagomedov on a potential rematch with Conor McGregor
During a recent media day in Russia, Nurmagomedov said: "Let him come back (and) defeat Dustin Poirier, then we will fight with him - no problem." Poirier, of course, was Nurmagomedov's last opponent, whom he locked horns with last September at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi. Nurmagomedov retained his title that night with a third-round submission victory over 'The Diamond', who bounced back from that defeat in June with a unanimous decision victory over Dan Hooker. Given the immense animosity that preceded their grudge match, it's somewhat surprising Nurmagomedov is willing to give McGregor a rematch.
The Russian, however, appears to have buried the hatchet following McGregor's heartfelt condolences following the passing of his father Abdulmanap. "Aside from sports, there are also human relations," Nurmagomedov said. "I'm OK with [Conor]. It's behind us. "To live in the past and hold grudges -- it's not me. Father wasn't like that, and I don't think I've strayed too far from him. "I don't condone personal attacks. But who wouldn't like it if somebody wished their father well."
Nurmagomedov's next outing is slated to take place at UFC 254 on October 24. 'The Eagle' will lock horns with his Dominance MMA stablemate Justin Gaethje in a lightweight title unification fight. McGregor's next fight, meanwhile, is currently enjoying his third retirement from mixed martial arts, which he announced in June. “The game just does not excite me, and that’s that," he told ESPN. “All this waiting around. There’s nothing happening.
"I’m going through opponent options, and there’s nothing really there at the minute. There’s nothing that’s exciting to me. They should have just kept the ball rolling. I mean, why are they pushing [Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje] back to September? “You know what’s going to happen in September, something else is going to happen in September, and that’s not going to happen. “I laid out a plan and a method that was the right move, the right methods to go with. And they always want to balk at that and not make it happen or just drag it on. “Whatever I say, they want to go against it to show some kind of power.
“They should have just done the fight – me and Justin for the interim title – and just kept the ball rolling. I’m a bit bored with the game. I’m here watching the fight. “I watched the last show – the Woodley-Burns show – I watched the show tonight. I’m just not excited about the game. “I don’t know if it’s no crowd. I don’t know what it is. There’s just no buzz for me. I had my goals, my plans, the season. I had everything laid out. Obviously, the world has gone bleeding bonkers at the minute. There’s f*** all happening at the minute. “They want to throw me up and down weights and offer me stupid fights. I don’t really give a f***. I’m over it.”
