Conor McGregor's Not a Scumbag, Says Bas Rutten

Conor McGregor made a mistake when he attacked a UFC bus -- but it's not like he beat his wife, so fans should give him another chance ... so says MMA legend Bas Rutten.

"There's guys who beat up their wives. Guys who beat up their women," Rutten tells TMZ Sports ... "I think that's way worse, to me, than something like [the bus attack]."

A lot of people are still pissed at Conor for the bus attack in Brooklyn that injured UFC staffers and fighters ... but Rutten says, "We all did things like that."

"I mean, it's Conor McGregor ... He did a lot of good. He got caught up in the moment. Let him figure it out."

"Of course, he's gonna have to pay. He's gonna have to go to court and make everything right," Rutten says ... but Bas is confident Conor will survive that, too.