‘Sham’: Irish newspapers criticize Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, UFC 229, credibility of MMA

DUBLIN — The scenes after UFC 229 have led to multiple Irish publications calling the credibility of mixed martial arts into question. Here is an overview of the Irish newspapers on Monday morning.

Irish Sun

The front page of The Irish Sun described the scenes that transpired after the event as “McGregor Mayhem”.

The back page leads with Dana White’s “sh*t happens” quote from the post-fight presser. (Simon Shaw)

The sports section discusses Conor McGregor looking for rematch against Khabib Nurmagomedov. (Craig Farrell)

Inside the news pages, the publication focused on the scenes after the fight and an injury to a fan. (Michael Doyle, Elaine Keogh, Sarah Curran)

Irish Daily Star

The front page of the Irish Daily Star focuses on McGregor seeking a rematch of the “sham” bout. (Ronan O’Flaherty)

The back page leads with the “frightening” scenes and an op-ed piece about the event being a “steaming pile of manure”. (Kieran Cunningham, Ronan O’Flaherty)

The news section focused on how the fracas happened after the fight. (Ronan O’Faherty)

The first spread in the sports pages focuses on “Nevada’s night of shame” and how McGregor’s quest for a rematch is ill advised. (Don Marrinan, Ronan O’Flaherty)

The second sports spread includes opinion pieces blasting the post-fight antics in Vegas and calling MMA into question. (Kieran Cunningham, Eamon Dunphy)

The Herald

The front page of the Herald reads “Brawls Boys”.

The back page declares UFC 229 a “nightmare”. (Ronan O’Flaherty)

The news pages focus on McGregor wanting a rematch and the messages of support he received after the one-sided loss. (Ryan Nugent, Ger Keville, Elaine Keogh)

The sports section talks about the “disgusting scenes” at the T-Mobile Arena. (Shaun Smith, Ronan O’Faherty)

Irish Daily Mirror

On the front page of the Mirror, Abubaker Nurmagomedov, cousin of the lightweight champion, calling McGregor ‘an Irish bitch’ is featured. (Pat Flanagan, Trevor Quinn)

The back page teases an article about the possibility of Nurmagomedov being stripped.

The news pages focus on the “shame” of the post-fight brawl. (Trevor Quinn, Alex Smith, Pat Flanagan)

The sports pages highlight McGregor’s poor performance and the need for UFC to control its athletes. (Andy Dunn, Martin Domin, Peter Carroll, Peter Ramsey)

Irish Daily Mail

The Irish Daily Mail’s back page reads: “McGregor on the slow slide to the scrapheap”. (Shane McGrath)

In the sports section, an op-ed piece refers to “The Notorious” as a “has been”. (Shane McGrath)

The news section discusses how McGregor is “again” in the midst of “shameful scenes”. (Craig Hughes)

The Irish Independent

The front page describes McGregor as a “humiliation”. (Eamonn Sweeney)

The back page compares MMA to British reality television show, “Love Island”. (Eamonn Sweeney)

The news section discusses the demise of “The Notorious” and his calls for a rematch. (Ewan MacKenna, Ryan Nugent)

The sports pages takes a look at how McGregor was “humiliated” in the UFC 229 main event. (Eamon Sweeney)

The Irish Times

The Irish Times ran a story urging McGregor to “forget the myth he has built around himself” and a second story about Nurmagomedov’s post-fight actions leading to a “lengthy hiatus”. (Philip O’Connor, Mike Coppinger)

Irish Examiner

The front of the Examiner’s sports section reads: “Out of the Octagon and into the gutter for UFC”

Inside, UFC 229 is described as a “tawdry night”. The Examiner also ran pieces on UFC’s plummet into “darkness” and Nurmagomedov’s potential incoming sanctions. (Joe Callaghan, Greg Beacham)