Miami Heat mascot hospitalized after taking a punch from Conor McGregor

The Miami Heat’s mascot was forced to go to the emergency room after taking a punch from Conor McGregor.

During a Game 3 mid-game skit at the NBA Finals, McGregor took the court to promote his new pain relief spray, TIDL. Once the 34-year-old stepped on the court, the Heat mascot, Burnie, approached him in what was an organized boxing bit. Despite it being a bit, McGregor struck the mascot harder than expected on two occasions.

Conor McGregor KO'd the Heat mascot 😅 #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/IRAKzuMKp2

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 10, 2023

Sam Amick of The Athletic says a source told him the man under the costume was sent to hospital and given pain medication by a doctor. He has since been sent home and is said to be doing well.

While the mascot was forced to leave, McGregor stayed for the remainder of the game, which the Denver Nuggets took by a 108-95 win. They now hold a commanding 3-1 series lead and have a chance to win it all at the Ball Arena in Denver on Monday night.

As for McGregor, despite not appearing in the ring since 2021 against Dustin Poirier, he appears to be in fighting shape. “Notorious” is expected to make his return later this year in a bout versus Michael Chandler.

Oddly enough, this isn’t the first time a mascot has been hit by someone who is paid to throw punches for a living. Five years ago on ESPN, American boxer Deontay Wilder reportedly broke the jaw of an ESPN mascot.

Wilder apologized shortly after learning about the alleged injury suffered to the man in the costume and even offered him tickets to a boxing event he was a part of later in the year.

McGregor, on the other hand, has yet to comment on the matter. While this entire incident seemed unintentional, perhaps he will learn to take it easier moving forward if he finds himself in a similar situation at any point in the future.

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