A man viciously punched by Conor McGregor has said the professional fighter is “stupid” for mocking mental health issues and Ireland soccer legend Paul McGrath.
Innocent assault victim Desmond Keogh (54) was decked in the face in an unprovoked attack by controversial McGregor (34) in 2019.
Millionaire MMA star McGregor – who is dubbed The Notorious - pleaded guilty to the punch after Des refused to drink a whiskey with him.
Critics this week accused McGregor of abusing mental health issues when he trolled comedian PJ Gallagher (47) about depression and offered to fight McGrath (63) and barred him from his pubs.
Des, who McGregor later barred from his Marble Arch pub in Dublin, told the Irish Star/ Mirror that his attackers comments about PJ and Paul are “stupid”.
He said: “I have no interest in having McGregor in my life. I have blanked him out.
“But I am an Ireland supporter and to say that about Paul McGrath, who is a national legend in my eyes, is a stupid thing to say.
“That’s my opinion. Why would he say that?
“And mental health is very important. What McGregor said about that was stupid as well.
“I don’t know why anyone would speak about someone else’s mental health. There’s no reason for it.
“He banned me and he banned Paul McGrath. He seems to be banning people for no reason.
“You’re not a very nice person, are you, if you behave like McGregor?
"The man [PJ Gallagher] was talking about his mental health.”
READ MORE: Conor McGregor admits defeat in Twitter row with Paul McGrath and PJ Gallagher
The controversy involving McGregor, Gallagher, and McGrath began earlier this week after the comedian and radio host reshared a video of an American sports presenter calling the Irish star one of the “top five active UK fighters in the UFC”.
PJ joked: “Normally this kind of thing winds me up - but they can have this lad.”
McGregor then responded by referencing the mental health of PJ, who earlier this year revealed that he suffered a “total breakdown” and spent 11 weeks with St Patrick’s Mental Health Services in Dublin.
McGregor posted online: “Sit up and smile for a change will you, you sad c***. Hahaha. Wife left you and all and you’re crying in the paper about depression.”
McGrath then said: “PJ take no notice of bullies, you’re loved by everyone. Whatever you do, don’t let him get the better of ya, pal.”
He added: “Conor, you need to find God and when you do, knock on my door, I will have the kettle on for ya. My good friend.”
McGregor then referred to the Dubliner Paul as “English” and said: “If someone comes at me, I am going to fire back.
“What don’t you get? I didn’t start any of this. It was me being bullied originally.”
He then told Paul in a tweet: “You’re barred from all my pubs as well now.”
He also tweeted: “I challenge PJ and Paul McGrath to 2 vs 1 boxing match in aid of mental health and anti-bullying organisations.”
Paul’s son Mitch responded and said: “I’ll fight in my dad’s place. You calling out old men. You’re a joke, lad. Get a grip of yourself. Embarrassing yourself.”
McGregor’s punch at the Marble Arch pub in April 2019 was recorded on camera and he pleaded guilty to assault and paid a €1,000 fine.
At the time, Des said McGregor was “a bit of a bully with money”.
He added: “I [was] sitting on the barstool, just having a quiet pint with my friend, then all of a sudden, because I refuse his drink, I get a punch. You don’t need that in life.”
Des explained: “He approached me from the left-hand side. I was ready to go. He said, ‘Will you have one of my whiskeys?’
“I said, ‘No, I don’t like whiskey; I’m a Guinness man’. I put the glass up on [the counter].
“He said, ‘You will have it with me.’ I said, ‘I don’t want it’. I think I put it back up again.
“He obviously got aggravated that I had disrespected and that’s when he gave me the punch.”
Former UFC champ Conor, whose fortune is estimated at €100m, later bought the pub in April 2021 and promptly barred Des.
Des then said: “I wouldn’t want to be spending money in his pub to be honest.”
After McGregor pleaded guilty to the 2019 punch, he apologised in a statement.
It stated: “What I did was very wrong and I’d like to apologise again to the injured party and today before the court and assure you that nothing of this nature will happen again.”
Yesterday, Des revealed: “I haven’t been back to the Marble Arch – and that’s because it closed during Covid, as far as I know.
“I now go to a great bar called the Castle Inn on the Long Mile Road. It’s up to Paul McGrath if he decides to go to any of McGregor’s bars.”
Meanwhile, McGregor has had several brushes with the law in Ireland and America.
He was hit with a six-month driving ban in November 2018 and received a €1,000 fine for motoring offences in Co Kildare.
He apologised for his actions when he appeared at Naas District Court.
