Conor McGregor has hit back at claims that he was laughing at Colby Covington after the ex-UFC star suffered a shock submission defeat.

‘Notorious’ was in Rome, Italy, on Tuesday night to watch Hype FC’s latest event, which was originally supposed to feature his longtime training partner Dillon Danis.

However, Danis withdrew from the contest and was replaced by UFC bantamweight Raul Rosas Jr., who pulled off a major upset.

The 22-year-old submitted Covington with a rear-naked choke in just 43 seconds, despite stepping in on short notice and normally competing several weight classes below his opponent.

Footage of Conor McGregor laughing at the event subsequently went viral, with social media users suggesting he was mocking Colby Covington‘s defeat – but the former two-weight UFC champion insists the clip doesn’t tell the full story.

Conor McGregor addresses viral video

Conor McGregor has denied that his laughter was a reaction to Colby Covington tapping out against Raul Rosas Jr.

The Irishman doesn’t dispute that the footage shows him laughing during the event. Instead, he claims it was placed alongside Covington’s defeat to make it appear as though he was mocking the former interim UFC welterweight champion.

“This is false and fully edited,” McGregor wrote in response to the viral footage.

“I had an amazing and fun time at the show in Rome tonight, as is evident in the clip of myself laughing, however it’s placement as if it was at this moment of the show is FALSE.

“I do not laugh at competing men and women. I respect them! Win lose draw!

“Bravo to all the combatants and thank you!”

Colby Covington reacts to shock submission defeat

While Conor McGregor was defending his reaction, Colby Covington was reflecting on an unexpected setback.

‘Chaos’ has enjoyed great success since swapping the UFC for wrestling under the Real American Freestyle [RAF] banner.

The 38-year-old has picked up wins over Luke Rockhold, Dillon Danis, Chris Weidman, Arman Tsarukyan, and Belal Muhammad in 2026.

However, Covington hasn’t put his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills to use since walking away from MMA.

“I just came out a little slow,” he admitted post-fight.

“This is the first time I’ve done jiu-jitsu in years.

“Every setback is a good opportunity for a comeback.

“I will get my hand raised next time.”

Covington won’t have long to dwell on the loss. He is scheduled to return to RAF on November 14, when he’ll face former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev in Abu Dhabi.