Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor has pleaded guilty to one charge of assault, after an altercation in a Dublin pub in April.
On Saturday (NZ time), McGregor was convicted of assault for punching Desmond Keogh in the head at the Marble Arch pub in Drimnagh.
McGregor was promoting his own brand of whiskey at the pub, when the altercation took place.
Keogh, who McGregor did not know, twice refused a drink by moving the glass away. McGregor twice placed the drink back in front of him, before punching him in the head.
McGregor was fined €1000 (NZ$1733).
The 31-year-old twice Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder, offered a guilty plea and apologised to his victim in Dublin's District Court.
"What I did was very wrong," said McGregor. "I would like to apologise again to the injured party... and assure you that nothing of this nature will happen again."
Solicitor Michael Staines asked the court to give the 31-year-old "one last chance" and said a criminal conviction could lead to a refusal of a visa to the United States and create "very severe difficulties" for McGregor's career.
Last week, McGregor, who declined to comment to the media after the hearing, announced plans to return to the UFC Octagon in Las Vegas on January 18 against an opponent he declined to name.
He said he wanted three fights in 2020, including rematches with Nate Diaz and Khabib Nurmagomedov, who defeated the Irishman in a lightweight title bout last year - the Irishman's most recent MMA fight.
Reuters
