In a move that has taken both the sports and political worlds by surprise, Conor McGregor, the former UFC two-division champion, has announced his intention to run for President of Ireland in 2025. McGregor, who has often expressed his frustration with the current political landscape, is now set to bring his fighting spirit into the heart of the Irish government, promising to shake up the establishment—or dismantle it entirely.
Conor tweeted this morning:
As President I hold the power to summon the Dáil as well as dissolve it. So as i said before, I would have all the answers the people of Ireland seek from these thieves of the working man, these disrupters of the family unit, these destructors of small businesses, and on and on…
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 5, 2024
McGregor made his bold announcement on social media, where he has increasingly turned his attention to political issues in recent months. His posts have been filled with critiques of the Irish government, particularly on topics like immigration and the treatment of the working class. Now, it seems that McGregor is ready to do more than just talk—he’s ready to take action.
“As President, I hold the power to summon the Dáil as well as dissolve it,” McGregor declared. “So as I said before, I would have all the answers the people of Ireland seek from these thieves of the working man, these disrupters of the family unit, these destructors of small businesses, and on and on and on!”
The fiery rhetoric doesn’t stop there. McGregor, known for his no-nonsense approach in the octagon, seems to be bringing that same intensity to his political ambitions. He continued, “These charlatans in their positions of power would be summoned to answer to the people of Ireland, and I would have it done by day end. Or I would be left with no choice but to dissolve the Dáil entirely. Stop the train until the people of Ireland get the answers they seek. This would be my power as President. I know very well. Ireland needs an active President employed wholly by the people of Ireland. It is me. I am the only logical choice. 2025 is upcoming…”
This is a culmination of a series of political posts by Conor McGregor in recent months, stemmed on by the murder of Irish Citizen Aisling Murphy in 2022, which Conor has been a vocal critic of the government’s role in this tragedy.
With Conor tweeting a link to the memorial fund at the start of this year:
2 year anniversary of Ashling Murphy today 🙏 Here is a link to her memorial fund that I urge us all to donate to today. The main objective for the Ashling Murphy Memorial Fund is for the further enhancement, development and advancements of The Traditional Irish Arts, Culture and…
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) January 12, 2024
The Irishman has been extremely critical about Ireland’s current immigration policies and the Government in general:
“I do not connect crime with migration. I connect crime to your governments many failed policies in protecting and securing the inhabitants of Ireland. There is a real lapse in national security. We need a brand new task force founded to assess all entrants into Ireland. Our natives and our visitors will all benefit with this peace of mind. We need deportation of those here illegally or that have committed a crime here. There needs to be a brand new unit founded specifically for this task. Call it “Ireland Protect””
I do not connect crime with migration. I connect crime to your governments many failed policies in protecting and securing the inhabitants of Ireland. There is a real lapse in national security. We need a brand new task force founded to assess all entrants into Ireland. Our… https://t.co/yTT4JPzobi
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 28, 2023
McGregor’s potential presidency would mark a dramatic shift in his career, which has been on hold for more than three years following a series of injuries, including a recent broken toe that sidelined his much-anticipated UFC 303 comeback. With UFC CEO Dana White recently stating that he’s “not even thinking about” McGregor’s return to the octagon, it appears that McGregor’s focus has fully shifted to his political ambitions, leaving opponent Michael Chandler and the MMA community wondering what’s next.
As of now, Chandler has yet to respond to McGregor’s latest move, but he seems confident that the fight will take place in the near future, as he has been for the past two Yeats.
Whether he can translate his success in the octagon to the political arena remains to be seen, but if there’s one thing McGregor has proven time and time again, it’s that he thrives on defying the odds. Ireland, get ready for a new kind of battle.
