Conor McGregor has revealed that he felt ‘upset’ and ‘let down’ by the organisers of the Q&A event that left dozens of fans disappointed last month.
The UFC interim featherweight champion was home in Dublin to undertake a number of promotional events, but came in for criticism when fans who paid extra for a meet and greet with McGregor were dismayed when the fighter and his team left the Wright Venue in Swords before fulfilling the commitment.
McGregor issued an apology on social media the following day but maintains there was no way he could have realistically pressed the flesh with everyone hoping to get a piece of The Notorious ahead of his title fight against Jose Aldo at UFC 194 next month.
McGregor told the Examiner:
I stayed on the stage after. People were coming up and I did autographs and a load of selfies and pictures. I must have been there an hour.
Then I went upstairs to this little private room that they had for me. And there was about 400 people queuing all along the stairs. So I took some selfies, rang someone’s uncle in Canada who is a big fan, all that, but there was no way in hell I could have gone through everyone after a four-day run like that. I’d still have been there! So I had to go.
“Then when I left I was getting messages all night. About disabled kids that were crying all the way home in their parents’ car. And I was like, ‘This is fuckin’ ridiculous! How was this billed as a meet-and- greet when it was supposed to be a Q&A?’
So I felt like I let these people down when I done as much as I could. It really upset me last night. I felt I was let down by the people who set up the event. It was just a messed up situation.
So I reached out to the people that I could reach out to and I had some people come down here [to the SBG gym] today. But at times I feel like I’m a piece of meat.
McGregor also described begin approached for pictures in restaurants and admitted the stresses of his newfound fame are difficult to deal with ahead of a big fight.
“It’s all messing with my head a bit. That’s why I feel I just need to drift away for awhile. I need to say no sometimes. But then you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I’m in a weird place in my head now.”
