UFC star Conor McGregor went viral for punching the Miami Heat's mascot during Game 4 of the NBA Finals. As it turns out, the mascot had to go to the ER.
The Miami Heat are one loss away from getting "knocked out" in the NBA Finals, after their Game 4 defeat on Friday night to the Denver Nuggets. But during the game, the Heat had a skit that featured their mascot, Burnie, instigating a fight with UFC star Conor McGregor, which caught the attention of social media.
The skit, which meant to promote a pain relief spray, saw McGregor punch Burnie not once, but twice, with the latter occurring as the mascot lay down on the court. And McGregor didn't pull his punches, either.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the man who dons the Burnie costume had to go to the emergency room after the skit. A league source told Amick that the man was prescribed pain medication, and he's doing fine while recovering at home.
Heat mascot, Burnie, was sent to the emergency room after getting punched by Conor McGregor
When watching clips of the skit on social media, you can tell that McGregor had a lot of power behind his punch while Burnie was standing. But then, as Burnie was on the court, McGregor punched the mascot again while his head was resting on the hardwood court.
McGregor has not fought in the octagon since July 2021, when he lost to Dustin Poirier via doctor stoppage after breaking his leg. He is currently a coach on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter reality television series opposite Michael Chandler.
As for the Heat, they are now down 3-1 in their series against the Nuggets. Even with Nuggets star Nikola Jokic on the bench for a lengthy amount of time in the fourth quarter, the Heat were unable to take advantage of the opportunity, instead falling 108-95.
If the Nuggets can take Game 5 on Monday, then the final appearance of Burnie in the 2022-23 season will be of the mascot getting punched hard in the face by McGregor. If the Heat can win Game 5 in Denver, then the series will head back to Miami one last time.