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- Irish pub owner Sean Rice, who went viral after filming himself pouring bottles of Conor McGregor’s whiskey down the toilet, told Business Insider that the former UFC champion’s behaviour "cannot tarnish an entire country."
- McGregor has been in the spotlight this week after CCTV footage leaked by TMZ appeared to show the Dublin-born fighter punching an old man in a pub.
- Rice previously described McGregor as a "lowlife scumbag", and blacklisted him from the bar in a post he shared on Facebook.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Conor McGregor’s behaviour "cannot tarnish an entire country."
Those are the words of an Irish pub owner Sean Rice, who went viral earlier this week after posting a video of himself pouring bottles of McGregor’s Proper no. Twelve whiskey down a toilet.
Rice shared the video as a reaction to CCTV footage which appeared to show McGregor punching an older man in a Dublin pub.
The incident, which took place in April and is part of an ever-growing chain of controversies involving McGregor, has reignited debate that the Dublin-born fighter is tarnishing the reputation of his home country.
But Rice, who owns the Salty Shamrock bar in Florida, believes the former UFC champion alone cannot ruin the good name of the Emerald Isle.
Speaking to Business Insider, Rice said: "Manners are easy carried and McGregor should learn some. I have no idea why he behaves as he does.
"One man cannot tarnish an entire country — his behavior is all his."
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McGregor has previously been criticized for putting a bad foot forward for his nation.
The Irish newspaper Trinity News launched a scathing attack on McGregor late last year, saying that he "is by no means a good ambassador for Ireland, as he constantly defies the strongest characteristics associated with the Irish national identity."
Former Irish broadcaster David Davin-Power also described McGregor as " bully" who is "fundamentally bad" for the country, while UFC’s Vice President of International Joe Carr said Joe Duffy, another Irish mixed martial artist, is a better representation of the Irish people than McGregor.
McGregor announced his retirement from MMA in March 2019, however has been touted for a return to the sport next year.
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See Also:
- An enraged pub owner filmed himself pouring Conor McGregor’s whiskey down the toilet, saying McGregor is ‘not a true representative of the Irish people’
- Dana White says it ‘won’t end well’ for Conor McGregor after a video appeared to show him punching an elderly man in a Dublin pub
- A video appears to show Conor McGregor punching an elderly man in the face after he declines a shot of the UFC fighter’s Proper No. Twelve whiskey
Source: Business Insider – blane@businessinsider.com (Barnaby Lane)