It’s been a couple of days since Conor McGregor underwent surgery for his torn ACL and meniscus, as a result of the injury he suffered in the opening seconds of his UFC 329 fight with Max Holloway. While referee Mike Beltran stopped the fight in just 69 seconds, the damage was done by then, and soon after, reports confirmed a surgery was imminent. The day before yesterday, the Irishman shared the update with his fans on social media, writing that the surgery was a “success.” But while ‘The Notorious’ has now begun the long road to recovery that will see him remain out of the Octagon for months, one of his latest antics has drawn plenty of unwanted attention online.

In a viral clip shared by Championship Rounds on X, McGregor could be seen struggling to retrieve a can of his own MAC Energy drink after it was delivered to him by a drone.

“Conor McGregor was struggling to get a Mac Energy drink delivered to him with a drone 😭,” the caption on the clip read.

The footage showed the former two-division champion standing on a balcony while using crutches. As the drone approached with the drink tied to it, McGregor slowly made his way toward it before dropping his left crutch and attempting to grab the can with his left hand while the drink dangled over the balcony.

However, despite his best efforts, the drink remained just out of reach. Rather than calling for someone to help him, McGregor came up with another solution. The 38-year-old used the crutch he had dropped to pull the drink closer before finally grabbing it. Those watching him from the ground could then be heard cheering as the Dublin native raised the can in triumph.

“Hallelujah, baby,” McGregor said. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

It remains unclear why Conor McGregor had to retrieve the drink from a drone in the first place. However, given that the can was from his recently launched MAC Energy brand, the unusual delivery could very well have been part of a promotional stunt.

Back in April, McGregor introduced The Mac Energy drink, which is named after his other moniker, ‘Mystic Mac,’ and the drink hit the stores in July, the month he returned to the UFC.

The drink subsequently became a prominent part of his UFC 329 fight-week promotions, making it plausible that the viral clip was designed to generate attention for the brand.

Still, it’s not the first time the Irishman has raised eyebrows with his antics. A few days after injuring his knee at T-Mobile Arena, ‘The Notorious’ posted videos of himself training leg extensions on a machine, which made fans even question the legitimacy of his injury.

Regardless of the reasoning behind it, the latest clip quickly spread across social media, and fans wasted little time mocking McGregor over the dangerous stunt.

Fans roast Conor McGregor over drone stunt

One fan immediately joked about the potential consequences of McGregor’s unusual attempt to retrieve the drink: “He’s about to tear his other ACL trying to pimp his drink.” Another blamed the drone operator for the awkward situation, writing, “LMFAO drone operator in tears toying with him😭.” A third fan highlighted the dramatic contrast between McGregor’s past accomplishments and his current circumstances, “We went from champ champ to barely being able to grab a drink from a drone.”

To be fair, McGregor’s difficulty had little to do with the severity of his injury. The drone simply positioned the drink beyond his immediate reach, forcing him to improvise while using crutches.

Continuing the wave of reactions, some fans even offered practical solutions: “I mean he could’ve just held one of the crutches the other way around 😁 Great to see him in good spirits after the surgery!”

McGregor actually used his left crutch to get the drink closer to him. However, one fan implied that using his right crutch would have made it easier to get the drink since it was positioned on his left side. That said, it’s worth noting that ‘The Notorious’ is naturally left-handed, so he chose to grab the drink with that hand.  

Still, that entire episode left one fan wondering, who wrote, “He should’ve just got one from the fridge.” But that user isn’t alone. Another fan asked, “Couldn’t the drone come closer to him, though?” Both are very valid questions.

Conor McGregor has built a reputation for turning virtually every aspect of his public life into a promotional opportunity, and a viral video featuring him struggling to retrieve his own energy drink certainly puts the product directly in front of millions of potential customers.

While the stunt may have earned him some brutal jokes from fans, it also accomplished the most important thing from a marketing perspective: people are now talking about MAC Energy.

For now, though, ‘The Notorious’ appears determined to maintain a positive outlook. And if his latest viral moment is any indication, he has no intention of letting a pair of crutches stop him from getting what he wants as begins his road to recovery.