Former MMA fighter Conor McGregor punches Burnie, the Miami Heat mascot, during a break in Game 4 of the basketball NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets, Friday, June 9, 2023, in Miami. The man who occupies Burnie's costume needed medical attention. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)Former UFC champion Conor McGregor promotes a pain-relief spray during a break in Game 4 of the basketball NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets, Friday, June 9, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)Former UFC champion Conor McGregor speaks during a break in Game 4 of the basketball NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets, Friday, June 9, 2023, in Miami. McGregor knocked out the Miami Heat mascot in a mid-game promotion for a pain-relief spray. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)Players are introduced before the start of Game 4 of the basketball NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets, Friday, June 9, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee )
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Former MMA fighter Conor McGregor punches Burnie, the Miami Heat mascot, during a break in Game 4 of the basketball NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets, Friday, June 9, 2023, in Miami. The man who occupies Burnie's costume needed medical attention. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
MIAMI – Former UFC champion Conor McGregor knocked out the Miami Heat mascot in a midgame bit that went wrong.
Burnie — more specifically, the man who occupies Burnie's costume — briefly sought medical attention Friday night after taking two punches from McGregor during a third-quarter stoppage of Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and the Denver Nuggets.
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The Heat said Saturday that the employee, who was not identified, received pain medication and was resting at home.
McGregor was there as a promotional gimmick for a pain-relief spray — and was booed by many in the Miami crowd even before the bit started. The flame mascot was wearing oversized boxing gloves and a robe akin to what a fighter would wear entering the ring for a bout. McGregor hit Burnie with a left hook, knocking him down, then punched the mascot again after he hit the floor.
McGregor then tried to “spray” the mascot with the pain-relief product, while several members of the Heat's in-game promotional team dragged Burnie off the court.
McGregor hasn’t fought since injuring his left leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. His last win came in January 2020.
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