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Conor McGregor knocked off his bike... and gets a lift home off the driver who hit him

The MMA fighter said it "wasn't my time" and that the driver couldn't see him because of a sun trap, before nabbing a lift home...

MMA fighter Conor McGregor has taken to social media after being hit by a driver while riding his bike, saying he "got a bang of[f] a car" as he films the aftermath. The 34-year-old appears to have avoided serious injuries, and is seen in the passenger seat of the driver's car with his broken bike in the boot. 

While McGregor has been known to have a short fuse in the past, it (sort of) appears all was forgiven after this incident, with the Irishman claiming that the driver couldn't see him because of a "sun trap".  McGregor also credits his wrestling and judo training for helping him to emerge largely unscathed, adding: "Having an awareness on the landing saved my life."

In the first video clip on McGregor's Instagram post, we see his Orbea hybrid on the floor, with the driver in the background repeatedly apologising.

"Don't worry about it", says McGregor, before the driver then offers him and the broken bike a lift home. 

> Hit by a driver? The 9 vital steps cyclists should take next

It appears McGregor accepted, as in the next clip, he's in the passenger seat of the driver's car and continuing to film the aftermath of his experience. We find out the driver is called Nick, with some of McGregor's followers in the comments pointing out that he looks concerned, worried or both.

McGregor says: "Nick just smacked me with his car ...the bike [is] in the back. 

"...I'm still here, thank God. That's all that matters." 

McGregor has long been partial to a bike ride to stay fit, sharing pictures of a custom FiftyOne road bike with gold leaf details back in 2018

From the footage it appears neither McGregor's body or confidence have suffered too badly, so hopefully he'll be back on the bike in no time... 

Arriving at road.cc in 2017 via 220 Triathlon Magazine, Jack dipped his toe in most jobs on the site and over at eBikeTips before being named the new editor of road.cc in 2020, much to his surprise. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled together a few hundred quid off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought his first road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadly pinched a few years later. Creatively replacing it with a Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bike around local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive his preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story.  

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27 comments

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mattw | 1 year ago
1 like

Checking Conor MacGregor's driving record referenced below, he should spend the rest of his life limited to a pedal kiddycar. Guy's a complete hoon.

Currently up before the beak (from events in Spring 2022 which are not through process yet afaics) on careless driving, two counts of dangerous driving, driving without insurance and a licence, and failing to produce a certificate of insurance or licence.

Previous include a ban for 155kph in an 100kph zone, other charges dropped, and a whole string earlier in life.

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chrisonabike replied to mattw | 1 year ago
0 likes

Is that why he's notorious then?

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mattw replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
1 like

No idea. He just seems to be a rich, selfish, violent twat.

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mtnbikerva1 | 1 year ago
1 like

Most if not all of us have been blinded by the sun while driving at some point. I am glad that nobody seems to of been injured in this accident. Maybe a lot of us can learn something from this. drive slow enough that if we can't see,  pull over and stop or drive slow enough so that we can hear what's going on around us and be able to stop and react appropriately quickly enough. It is nice that McGregor and the driver both handled it as well as they seem to have.

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NOtotheEU replied to mtnbikerva1 | 1 year ago
3 likes

A moped rider hit a van he didn't see because of the low sun on Traffic Cops last night. One of the officers said

"Blinded by the sun? You've got to stop. Anything could be in front of you .eg. pedestrians. If your eyesight is lost for even a moment that can be catastophic"

I thought he seems like a sensible guy until he said 

"You've got no protection on a moped. I don't think he'll ever get on two wheels again which for me is a win"

In other words If you're going to crash due to your own actions make sure you're in a car so you only hurt other people!

Or maybe as chrisonatrike wrote in a different thread "travel by car like any normal person, you weirdo".

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HLaB | 1 year ago
5 likes

The bars on my fixie was hit years ago, sending me into the verge. The excuse the driver gave was they'd forgot their sun glasses and the sun was in their eyes. The police eventually appeared and decided that as the sun was in their eyes too, it was a fair excuse 🙄

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Fignon's ghost | 1 year ago
2 likes

I once rode into a massive horse's arse whilst she was being walked a country lane. All due to that low winter sun. It's deadly. It doesn't matter how good your rims are. Pardon the pun!

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Shake | 1 year ago
4 likes

If there's one person you would not want to knock off their bike

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HoarseMann replied to Shake | 1 year ago
1 like
Shake wrote:

If there's one person you would not want to knock off their bike

I dunno, probably a kindred spirit - it's alright mate, I'm a crap driver too: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/conor-mcgregor-court-driving...

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chrisonabike replied to HoarseMann | 1 year ago
0 likes

I mean, his day job's literally hitting people, so...

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hawkinspeter replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
2 likes
chrisonatrike wrote:

I mean, his day job's literally hitting people, so...

...he doesn't want to do it on his own time

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HoarseMann | 1 year ago
1 like

Slam, bam, one for the 'gram.

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Hirsute | 1 year ago
7 likes

The sun was in his eyes.
Well, that's a new one - victim victim blaming.

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chrisonabike replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
7 likes

Fair enough - I think one of the MMA rules bans attacks to the eyes, sun or no - so that was a foul and the driver's allowed a restart.

Wonder if a cyclist had ridden into him if he'd have been so chill?

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Jippily replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
2 likes

Winter sun is no joke. I almost hit another cyclist when riding directly into the sun the other day. Sunglasses were no help, either.

Granted, he was on the wrong side of the two-way cycle lane, but I physically couldn't see him until it was almost too late.

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Sriracha replied to Jippily | 1 year ago
6 likes

Genuine question: If you "physically could not see", why continue to drive? I'm guessing that if some idiot prankster in the seat behind you had clapped their hands firmly over your eyes whilst exclaiming "guess who?" then you'd have slammed on the brakes. But when it's the sun wot dun it, not so much - why?

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chrisonabike replied to Sriracha | 1 year ago
4 likes

Pedantry - I think they were cycling (" when *riding* directly into the sun ... on the wrong side of the two-way cycle lane ")

... but your point is still valid. Its because once we're moving and especially in a vehicle our default response to "sensory input deficit" is "I'll just go on until I can see / clear this patch ..."

That should definitely be a particular focus of driver (and cycling) training as *not* doing so is counterintuitive *. Luckily for me I had a few lessons in fog patches (one at night) so I remember this, along with winding down your windows so you can *hear* other vehicles.

* Unless someone removed all vision, like you say - then I think animals tend to stop and stay put.

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Hirsute replied to Jippily | 1 year ago
7 likes

Then go slower if you can't see.
Be able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear.

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Jippily replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
6 likes

Lots of assumptions being made in these replies.

Yes, I was cycling. No, I was on the correct side of the cycle lane and the other cyclist was on the wrong one. I was going about 5mph as it was uphill, the other cyclist with them coming downhill was going faster and from what I was able to see of his expression as he came into view, he seemed to think I was on the wrong side and intended to play chicken. I was able to stop in the distance I could see to be clear, hence why I didn't crash. He swerved around me.

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Sriracha replied to Jippily | 1 year ago
4 likes

Yes, apologies, I did misread your post. Mea culpa.

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Hirsute replied to Jippily | 1 year ago
0 likes

Your first sentence should have been a cyclist almost crashed head on into me.
Not sure how your story fits with the article where someone is hit from behind.

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chrisonabike replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
3 likes

I think we should ban the sun as it's clearly a danger to people on our roads. It doesn't even work for 24 hours every day in the UK either. Never mind the "accidents", that must be costing people hours in delays every year as people have to slow down since they can't see properly*. Madness...

* yes...

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chrisonabike replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
2 likes

Oh - I've had another idea! Inspired by something I saw on the critical mass ride today... Maybe the sun can stay as it is! Given we know it's prone to misbehave on a fairly regular basis maybe the onus should be on the users to adopt PPE. I mean that's how it works for making roads safe for vulnerable road users, right?

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wtjs replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
5 likes

the onus should be on the users to adopt PPE. I mean that's how it works for making roads safe for vulnerable road users

It is an article of faith with the police that drivers of motor vehicles are always entitled to drive as if road and lighting conditions are perfect.  When I was hit by a Freelander cutting the corner and coming down the wrong side of the road when I was waiting to leave the Sainsbury's exit road, the police said that it was only a momentary loss of concentration due to it being dark and raining in late December after 5pm- it was clearly impossible to predict conditions like that

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mtnbikerva1 replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
1 like
chrisonatrike wrote:

I think we should ban the sun as it's clearly a danger to people on our roads. It doesn't even work for 24 hours every day in the UK either. Never mind the "accidents", that must be costing people hours in delays every year as people have to slow down since they can't see properly*. Madness... * yes...

The sun needs to identify as a half moon! Then it would not blind us!

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bikeman01 replied to Jippily | 1 year ago
1 like
Jippily wrote:

Winter sun is no joke. I almost hit another cyclist when riding directly into the sun the other day. Sunglasses were no help, either. Granted, he was on the wrong side of the two-way cycle lane, but I physically couldn't see him until it was almost too late.

But why couldn't he see you?

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HLaB replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
1 like

It is indeed victim blaming but it's not a new one 😐

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