Conor McGregor: UFC fighter banned from driving for six months after speeding at 95mph in 60mph zone

Judge questions why MMA fighter did not face more serious charge

Conor McGregor arrives at Naas district court in Co Kildare (Niall Carson/PA)

MMA fighter Conor McGregor has been banned from driving for six months and fined €1,000 (£883) for speeding.

McGregor, 30, admitted driving at 154kph (96mph) in a 100kph zone when he was stopped in his light blue Range Rover in Kildare, near Dublin, in October last year.

The Irish UFC fighter apologised as he appeared to answer a speeding charge at a district court in Naas, County Kildare, which was packed with fans.

McGregor has 12 traffic offences dating back to when he was in his teens and the judge said he was taken aback.

Judge Desmond Zaidan questioned why McGregor did not face a more serious charge.

He said: “The higher the speed the greater the risk involved. The speed here is in the higher end. Speed kills and that is what makes speeding dangerous.

“When speeding goes wrong the consequences are catastrophic and life-changing, there is no question about that.

“Sadly we have lost more lives on our roads because of excessive speeding, dangerous speeds and other bad behaviour.

“More people have lost their lives on our roads, bad driving on our roads, speeding, than as a result of violence, homicide, murder, manslaughter.”

McGregor, originally from Crumlin in Dublin, was defeated in a comeback fight in October.

He is also being sued over an unrelated incident at a New York arena, accused of causing an American mixed martial artist physical and psychological harm when he hurled a metal trolley at the window of a bus at the Barclay’s Centre in Brooklyn.

McGregor said he had passed on the speeding fine to be paid before it reached this stage, but that did not happen and he apologised to the court.

His lawyer acknowledged the negative publicity the charge would generate.