Conor McGregor Injures the Heat Mascot in an NBA Skit

Former UFC champion Conor McGregor sent the performer inside the Miami Heat's mascot costume to the emergency room after a promotional skit during Game 4 of the 2023 NBA Finals.

Staged to promote his pain relief spray, the bit had McGregor strike the costumed Burnie hard enough to knock the performer to the ground before the person was taken to the hospital.

The performer received pain medication and was later discharged, according to reporting from The Athletic.

Spectators booed the sequence as the Denver Nuggets pulled ahead three games to one with a 108 to 95 win over Miami.

Burnie, an anthropomorphic fireball who has represented the Heat since the franchise's 1988 debut, was the unlikely casualty of a stunt many criticized for putting an untrained staff member at real physical risk.

McGregor, 34, previously held UFC titles in both the featherweight and lightweight divisions.

The mascot stunt now reads as a footnote in a far heavier record. No charge followed a woman's sexual assault allegation from that same Miami night, but in November 2024 a Dublin jury found McGregor civilly liable for raping Nikita Hand and awarded her close to €250,000; the Court of Appeal rejected his appeal on July 31, 2025 and the Supreme Court refused another. His presidential bid ended on September 15, 2025 without one Oireachtas endorsement, and his July 11, 2026 UFC return lasted 69 seconds before his knee gave out, per CBS Sports and The Irish Times. One bout remains on his contract, so watch whether the Holloway trilogy he wants for 2027 is ever booked.