[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s image might have taken a hit in 2019. But to start 2020, the former UFC two-division champion appears to be on the right track – and he has support from a major sponsor.
McGregor, a former UFC featherweight and lightweight champ, shared an official Reebok video advertisement on Twitter and Instagram last week in which he promotes a line of the company’s sneakers. McGregor teased the shoes would be available Sunday.
The 10-second video spot is the first confirmation that Reebok, in the final year of its apparel partnership with the UFC, stands behind the sport’s biggest star as one of its endorsed athletes despite his troubling 2019.
Just wait. Dropping Sunday. @reebok #comebackseason #zigkinetica pic.twitter.com/7DXQWLSBCl
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) January 9, 2020
McGregor’s year included pleading guilty to assault after he was caught on camera sucker-punching a man in an Irish pub. One month prior to that incident, McGregor was caught on camera smashing a man’s cell phone after he tried to take a photo of McGregor outside a Miami hotel; McGregor later settled out of court, and charges were dropped.
In late March, the New York Times reported that McGregor was the subject of a sexual assault investigation in Ireland. Nearly seven months later in October, the newspaper reported that McGregor was being investigated for a second alleged sexual assault in his home country. McGregor has denied the allegations only through his manager, but has yet to comment publicly.
When reached by MMA Junkie, a spokesperson for Reebok declined to comment on its decision to continue doing business with McGregor. “I certainly understand your inquiry, however we’re not going to provide any statement or comment at this time,” the spokesperson said.
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Reebok’s decision on McGregor is a different response to a previous situation the company faced on the subject of sexual assault. In 2013, Reebok parted ways with rapper Rick Ross after lyrics in one of his songs alluded to raping a woman.
McGregor’s Reebok ad drops as he nears his highly anticipated return to the octagon Saturday against Donald Cerrone in the welterweight main event of UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It’ll be McGregor’s first fight since October 2018, when he lost by submission to 155-pound champ Khabib Nurmagomedov.
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