MMA Star Conor Mcgregor Released From Jail After Miami Beach Arrest
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Mixed Martial Arts star Conor McGregor is once again making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Overnight he was released from jail following his arrest in Miami Beach for reportedly smashing the phone of a man who tried to take a picture.
It happened Monday just before 5:30 a.m. outside the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
New video that CBS4's Peter D'Oench obtained from local talk show host Andy Slater shows McGregor dancing inside Club LIV at the Fontainebleau before his arrest and he appears to be jawing with another person.
According to his arrest report, when a man tried to take a picture of the UFC superstar, the 30-year-old, 5'9", 160-pound McGregor slapped the phone out of the man's hand, stomped on it repeatedly and then walked away with the damaged phone.
Police located McGregor at a mansion of the Venetian Islands where he has been staying during his visit.
He's been in town since at least last week.
Under his Instagram handle TheNotoriusMMA, McGregor has been posting photos on Miami Beach, with his son and girlfriend at the Miami Seaquarium, and at the Versace Mansion, where he hosted a birthday party for his mom.
Neighbors say the family was staying at an AirBnB mansion that lists for $5,000 a night.
McGregor's attorney released a statement to CBS4 that read:
"Last evening Conor McGregor was involved in a minor altercation involving a cell phone that resulted in a call to law enforcement. Mr. McGregor appreciates the response of law enforcement and pledges his full cooperation."
This is not the first time McGregor has found himself on the wrong side of the law.
Almost a year ago he was arrested in New York for an altercation in a UFC fighter's bus. Witnesses said McGregor plotted that attack. Cameras captured him in a fit of rage breaking windows.
As for his Miami Beach arrest, he's facing felony strong-arm robbery and criminal mischief charges. His attorney Sam Rabin said he was released on $12,500 bond. Rabin said he would have more to say after McGregor's arraignment.
At the home McGregor is staying at, a security guard said there was a "Zero point zero chance" of McGregor talking on camera about the incident but he also said there was "more to this story" that will come out.
D'Oench did speak to the 22-year-old victim, Ahmed Abdirzak, who is a British tourist from Slough, England; a town some 20 miles west of London.
Abdirzak initially said he was being offered thousands of dollars by other media outlets for an on camera interview and said he would speak to CBS4 on camera for $1,000. But he was told that CBS4 did not pay for interviews.
Early Tuesday morning, McGregor posted on Instagram, "Patience in this world is a virtue I have continued to work on. I love my fans dearly. Thank you all."