Mixed martial arts megastar Conor McGregor made his massive octagon return on Saturday, Oct. 6. The Ireland native faced off against undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC 229, live on pay-per-view for fight fans worldwide. That being said, it would appear that dozens of Irish fans with criminal backgrounds were not permitted within the country to see the fight.
As reported by the Independent.ie, a total 53 people were stopped at either a US pre-clearance facility at Dublin Airport’s Terminal 2 on their way to Las Vegas, Nev. for UFC 229 or arrested shortly after entering the United States. Many of those refused entry were refused due to previous criminal convictions. Some of the total 53 fans were arrested after it was determined that convicted criminals allegedly have connections to the Kinihan Cartel in Ireland.
Of course, Conor McGregor has allegedly had run-ins with Irish cartels in the past.
