Huvudtränaren vid respekterade Tristar Gym, Firas Zahabi, där den kändaste adepten varit tidigare två-divisionsmästaren Georges St-Pierre, väljer nu att fullständigt såga Conor McGregor efter att denne slagit en äldre man i en irländsk bar bakifrån.
Zahabi kallar megstjärnan för ”en skam för MMA” som sport och höll inte tillbaka när han kommenterade McGregors senaste skandal.
Zahabi uttalade sig som följande enligt BJPenn.com där han även kallade irländaren patetisk:
It’s indefensible, there is no defense for this, except (McGregor) is a pathetic, sorry excuse for a human being. How do you punch an old man because he doesn’t want to drink your whiskey? Who can defend this? You punch an old man then you run? What a disgusting display. I don’t care how much money you have or how famous you [are]. If this is the type of person you are then then your value is zero.
I’m sorry I have to say this. This is an embarrassment to MMA. It’s an embarrassment to us all. When the media says MMA people are animals, when they say MMA fighters are brutal, that they are savages, this is now going to be harder for us to defend.
Zahabi tillade även att han vanligtvis inte blir blir upprörd över saker men att videon där McGregor delar ut ett fulslag mot den äldre mannen var något som verkligen gjorde honom arg.
There are so few things I will lose it on. This is one of them. If I was there when this incident happen, believe me, it wouldn’t have went well. I would have got up out of my chair, I would have been very upset. You don’t punch an old person in the face.
I don’t care what that old man said. What if he insulted him? Who cares. He’s an old man. Maybe the old man has dementia. If some old man walks up to me and calls me a motherf*cker or whatever he says to me, I would say, ‘Sir, can I help you across the street?’ I don’t care if the man curses me out. He’s an old man. You cannot strike an old man.
Zahabi ansåg även att McGregors tränare troligen känner likadant som Tristar Gym-tränaren själv om ingen av irländarens team uttalat sig ännu om incidenten:
I’ve been to Ireland many times, I love the Irish people, I love Ireland. They are such great human beings, they are close-knit people. They are positive people, their energy is amazing. But I am sure 99 percent of Irish people who saw that are disgusted. I am 99 percent sure his coaching staff is disgusted. Everybody’s disgusted. I don’t care what that old man said, there’s no reason to hit that old man. It’s disgusting.
