Conor McGregor says patience is 'a virtue he continues to work on' after he was arrested for allegedly slapping a phone out of a fan's hand, stomping on it, then walking away

Reuters

UFC fighter Conor McGregor appears in a police booking photo at Dade County Jail in Miami.

• Conor McGregor posted an Instagram message just hours after he was seen on video leaving "a correctional facility" in Miami, Florida.
• McGregor was arrested on Monday for allegedly slapping a phone out of a fan's hand, stomping on it, then walking away with it.
• He was found at his local address at a later time, charged with robbery, and held on bail.
• Hours after he was released by police, he said: "Patience in this world is a virtue I continue to work on."
• Meanwhile, McGregor's lawyer said his client "appreciates the response of law enforcement and pledges his full cooperation."

Conor McGregor said patience is "a virtue he continues to work on" just hours after he was arrested for allegedly slapping a phone out of a 22-year-old fan's hand, stomping on it several times, then walking away with it.

On Monday, police said the UFC fighter was arrested in South Florida after slapping the phone out of a 22-year-old man's hand before stomping on it several times and then walking away with it. The man was reportedly trying to take a photo of McGregor.

The incident apparently took place at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, a resort in Miami, shortly after 5 a.m. on March 11. McGregor, 30, was then found at his local address on Venetian Drive, charged with robbery and criminal mischief, and held on a $12,500 bail, according to Associated Press.

Read more: Conor McGregor sent a message to his son about 'hard work' while posing beside a multimillion-dollar private jet

Later on Monday, he was filmed on video leaving "a correctional facility." He can be seen surrounded by media, with camera lights in his face, dressed in a t-shirt, light trousers, and flip-flops, as he walked toward a Cadillac Escalade vehicle.

Watch the video here:

Hours after his release, McGregor posted a reaction to the news on his official Instagram account, wearing the same clothes he wore in Miami-Dade County Jail headshot.

"Patience in this world is a virtue I continue to work on," he said. "I love my fans dearly. Thank you all."

McGregor's lawyer, Samuel Rabin, confirmed his client "was involved in a minor altercation involving a cell phone that resulted in a call to law enforcement," The Guardian reported.

"Mr McGregor appreciates the response of law enforcement and pledges his full cooperation," Rabin added.

This is not the first time McGregor has been arrested in the United States for criminal mischief. He was charged by the New York Police Department over an unprecedented attack on a bus at a UFC press conference in April, 2018.

The Irishman was recorded on video throwing guard rails at a bus carrying UFC fighters and smashing a window in an attack that left two athletes requiring hospital treatment.

He was reportedly looking to confront lightweight rival Khabib Nurmagomedov who was on the bus at the time. McGregor and Nurmagomedov later fought at UFC 229 in a championship bout that Nurmagomedov won with a fourth-round submission.

Read more: Khabib Nurmagomedov made Conor McGregor tap with a tight neck crank - he then jumped the cage and almost incited a riot

Post-fight brawls marred the event, though, as Nurmagomedov refused to celebrate the win, mounted the fence of the UFC octagon instead, and charged at McGregor's cageside friend Dillon Danis. While that was going on, members of Nurmagomedov's team were seen invading the cage and exchanged punches with McGregor.

Both McGregor and Nurmagomedov were sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for the roles they played and are currently serving suspensions, but the Irishman is free to fight again from April 6. He currently has no opponent booked for his comeback.