Arsenal and England star Bukayo Saka has defended the actions of UFC icon Conor McGregor after the Irishman’s antics at the Emirates Stadium last week.
According to The Telegraph, McGregor was in attendance for the Gunners’ 2-0 victory over PSG last Tuesday in the Champions League after acquiring VIP tickets through a third-party provider at the last minute.
The UFC star enjoyed the game before being granted access to the Emirates pitch after the full-time whistle. It was here that McGregor met Arsenal stars Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka with clips emerging on social media afterwards showing the Irishman having a kickabout with the Gunners duo.
That went a little further with the North London club’s winger as McGregor started to play fight with Saka and concerns were raised at Arsenal as the 23-year-old could have suffered an accidental injury.
Conor McGregor having a light sparring session with Bukayo Saka ??
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) October 3, 2024
Follwing the incident, The Telegraph reported that the Premier League club will be reviewing the arrangement that allows corporate guests to mingle with players post-match, while they also attempted to distance themselves from the controversial MMA fighter.
This was a story that got a lot of attention but this week Saka has decided to defend McGregor’s actions.
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka defends Conor McGregor
Following the drama that surrounded the footage of Saka and McGregor emerging, the Arsenal star has decided to defend the UFC superstar this week whilst away with the England national team.
The winger put a story up on his Instagram page stating: “Good to meet you Conor McGregor. No harm done, just a friendly spar.”
It remains to be seen how Arsenal respond to this given their stance on the situation but given that the Englishman took so long to post the picture after meeting McGregor, it is likely the 23-year-old got clearance from the Premier League club.