Michael Chiesa, Conor McGregor settle bus attack lawsuit from UFC 223
Photo credit should read ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
Four years after Conor McGregor threw a dolly through the windshield of a bus carrying Michael Chiesa, the UFC fighters have settled their lawsuit in Kings County (N.Y) Supreme Court.
Attorneys for McGregor and Chiesa on Friday filed a stipulation of discontinuance with prejudice, meaning they have agreed to not to proceed with the lawsuit – and it cannot be refiled later. A person with knowledge of the suit, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed to MMA Fighting a settlement was reached; terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Reps for Chiesa did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
McGregor’s representative Karen Kessler released a brief statement on the Chiesa lawsuit, saying “the matter was resolved and is now closed.“
Chiesa in September 2018 filed suit against McGregor, McGregor Sports and Entertainment, the corporate parent of Madison Square Garden and others following the infamous UFC 223 bus attack; the ex-UFC champ struck a plea deal after briefly landing in jail. That concluded the criminal portion of the case, but Chiesa and McGregor’s attorneys battled four more years in civil court before reaching an agreement.
Chiesa initially sued McGregor for negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress, assault and battery, among other claims. McGregor’s attorney argued the Irish star didn’t intentionally target Chiesa and couldn’t be held liable. A judge initially agreed and trimmed the potential claims against McGregor. But this past month, an appellate judge revived several of the original lawsuit’s claims, ruling that Chiesa’s claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress had improperly been dismissed, and that it was proper to name MSG as a party to the lawsuit.
Chiesa was cut by flying glass when McGregor threw the dolly through the bus window, forcing him to withdraw from a fight with Anthony Pettis on the April 7, 2018, fight card at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. He argued that the injury not only damaged his immediate prospects but his career as a win over Pettis could have put him in line to fight for the title.
“I literally had a golden opportunity ripped out from me because of (McGregor),” Chiesa then told TMZ.
McGregor pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in his criminal case, performed five days of community service and agreed to anger management as part of his plea agreement. Chiesa said he and his family endured online harassment when news of his lawsuit became public.
Chiesa went on to fight Anthony Pettis at UFC 226 and lost via second-round submission. He then moved up to the welterweight division, where he went on a four-fight winning streak before back-to-back losses sapped his momentum. A regular at the UFC commentary table, he is unbooked for his next fight.
McGregor, meanwhile, remains on the sidelines after breaking his leg in a trilogy with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. He recently drew headlines for his status with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and his removal from the drug testing pool.
McGregor also faces a separate civil lawsuit from his former training partner, Artem Lobov, who claims he is entitled to 5 percent of the ex-champ’s $600 million deal for the rights to his Proper 12 whiskey.
