Conor McGregor‘s ambition to become President of Ireland has been met with total opposition by the nation’s political class as a survey of 134 politicians found every single respondent rejected the notion.
Many of the respondents were highly critical of McGregor, with one Teachta Dála (TD) declaring: ‘He’s a misogynist and a thug. On behalf of the women of Ireland, he can f*** off.’
MMA fighter McGregor, 36, announced his bid to become Ireland’s President just days after a trip to the White House earlier this month where he met with US President Donald Trump for St. Patrick’s Day.
But the former UFC two-division champion has been mired in legal controversy.
He is currently appealing the result of a civil case after a jury in his home city of Dublin found he had raped a woman, Nikita Hand, in 2018 and ordered him to pay damages.
McGregor is also facing another civil case in Florida amid claims he sexually assaulted a woman in Miami in 2023, an allegation his legal team says he denies.
He was previously found guilty of a number of driving offences and pleaded guilty to one charge of assault after video surfaced of him punching a man in a pub in Dublin in 2019.
The poll of Irish politicians was conducted by Sky News, and was not ‘exhaustive or very scientific’, according to the news organisation’s Ireland correspondent.
But the scathing assessment of McGregor’s suitability for the presidency suggests a bid for office would prove a harder fight than any of his bouts in the UFC Octagon.
One Irish Senator told Sky: ‘I consider him to be a tacky, moronic vulgarian. I would never consider him even remotely a suitable person for a nomination.’
Garret Ahearn, Fine Gael Senator, added: ‘I genuinely would struggle to think of anyone worse to hold that position.’
Irish mixed martial artist Conor McGregor speaks briefly to the media in the White House Press briefing Room in Washington, DC
Donald Trump, the President of the United States, invited Conor McGregor to speak at the White House in Washington on March 18, 2025
rish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor arrives at court, on the day he attends a civil trial on allegations of sexual assault, in Dublin, Ireland November 19, 2024
Conor McGregor in front of the Trump and Vance portraits at the White House
To stand for the presidency in Ireland, candidates must win the support of 20 Oireachtas (parliament) members, or receive backing from at least four local authorities.
There are a total of 234 Oireachtas members split between 60 senators and 174 TDs – but Sky’s poll suggests at least 134 would immediately reject McGregor’s bid.
The findings come days after McGregor was pictured embracing Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, March 17 for St. Patrick’s Day.
The Irishman was invited to the Oval Office after Trump singled him out as one of his favourite sportsmen, and the pair were photographed clasping hands in a show of respect.
Ahead of the meeting with the US President, McGregor told an audience that Ireland was close to ‘potentially losing its Irishness’, laying into the Irish government as an administration of ‘zero action with zero accountability’.
‘Our money is being spent on overseas issues that is nothing to do with the Irish people,’ he said.
But McGregor’s appearance in Washington DC was harshly criticised by Irish leaders, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin who said his comments ‘did not reflect the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, or the views of the people of Ireland’.
McGregor announced his intention to run for the presidency on an anti-immigration platform shortly after his meeting with Trump.
Posting a picture of himself wearing a green ‘Make America Great Again’ hat while holding his son in front of his private jet, McGregor wrote in a lengthy Instagram post: ‘Ireland must fully implement the EU Migration Pact by June 12, 2026.
‘So between now and 12 June 2026, several pieces of legislation have to be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas & then signed by the President.
‘The next presidential election must take place by 11 Nov 2025. Who else will stand up to Government and oppose this bill?
‘Any other Presidential candidate they attempt to put forward will be of no resistance to them. I will!
‘For clarity also, as President, I would put forth this bill to referendum.
‘Although I oppose greatly this pact, it is neither mine nor government’s choice to make. It is the people of Ireland’s choice! Always! That is a true democracy!’
He later posted on X: ‘Ireland, the choice is yours and it is an easy one. Vote for me as your President and we will SAVE IRELAND TOGETHER!’
Conor McGregor has announced his bid to become Ireland’s President just days after a controversial trip to the White House
The announcement comes just days after McGregor spoke of an ‘illegal immigration racket ravaging our country’ at the White House
McGregor announced the plans in an Instagram post where he is stood ahead of a private jet and wearing a Make Ireland Great Again cap
McGregor rose to prominence in the 2010s when he burst onto the scene in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Having climbed through the amateur and professional ranks in Europe while working as a plumber, the brash Irishman made his debut in the UFC in April 2013, dismantling American Marcus Brimage in just over a minute.
A string of knockout and decision wins followed and less than three years later, McGregor became the UFC’s interim featherweight champion, beating perennial contender Chad Mendes.
By the summer of 2015, McGregor was already a superstar, his quick wit, silver tongue and supreme self-confidence amplifying his stunning performances in the cage.
But he cemented his legacy in December of that year when he beat all-time UFC great and featherweight king, the fearsome Brazilian Jose Aldo, by knockout in just 13 seconds to clinch the undisputed title.
McGregor’s rise to the top in the UFC is widely seen as one of the most impressive runs in MMA history.
But he used this newfound platform to propel himself to true superstardom in 2016.
A shocking submission loss to California’s beloved scrapper Nate Diaz at UFC 196 in March 2016 did nothing to quell the furore surrounding McGregor, only serving to build the hype for a hotly anticipated rematch a few months later at UFC 202 in August.
McGregor avenged his loss in a closely contested bout with Diaz before capping off a wild year by winning the UFC lightweight belt in November, destroying the champion Eddie Alvarez in an awe-inspiring performance.
In doing so, he became the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously, having retained the featherweight belt.
The incredible feat added to an already stellar legacy for McGregor, but the dizzying heights of double champ status were not to last.
Eddie Alvarez of the United States (left) fights against Conor McGregor of Ireland in their lightweight championship bout during the UFC 205 event at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2016
UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor of Ireland celebrates after defeating Eddie Alvarez in their UFC lightweight championship fight during the UFC 205 event at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2016 in New York City
McGregor has since vowed to appeal the decision – saying he was ‘disappointed’ and ‘focused on my future’. Pictured: Preparing to fight Dustin Poirier in 2021
Nikita Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, speaking to the media outside the High Court in Dublin after the personal injury case against Conor McGregor
Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor and partner Dee Devlin and mother Margaret outside the High Court in Dublin, November 22, 2024
In 2017, McGregor opted to take a break from the UFC and began campaigning for a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather while expanding his business pursuits outside the Octagon, notably with his whisky brand, Proper Twelve.
He ultimately succeeded in securing the match with Mayweather and was stopped in round 10, but the bout was lucrative for McGregor, both in terms of his purse and the celebrity that came with such a highly publicised event.
He later returned to the UFC to face off against Russian phenom Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018.
The build-up to the fight was ugly and marred by controversy, with McGregor smashing a bus window and injuring several passengers in an attempt to ambush the Dagestani fighter at a UFC event in New York.
But Nurmagomedov ultimately prevailed in their championship bout, forcing McGregor to submit with a brutal neck crank in round 4, putting a definitive end to a bitter rivalry.
The loss to Nurmagomedov is seen by many MMA analysts and fans as the most psychologically damaging of McGregor’s career.
He went on to scoop one more victory in the UFC – a first-round knockout against fan favourite Donald Cerrone.
But he subsequently suffered a pair of devastating losses to lightweight legend Dustin Poirier – one by knockout and another following a catastrophic leg injury.
His massive fight purses twinned with highly successful business ventures meant the Irishman had cultivated massive wealth.
He was ranked as the world’s highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2021 with reported earnings of $180 million.
But recent years have seen McGregor face a litany of legal controversies, the most high-profile of which saw him ordered to pay nearly €250,000 to a woman after a civil court in November found he had sexually assaulted her.
McGregor faced an accusation that he ‘brutally raped and battered’ Nikita Hand, 35, at a hotel in south Dublin in December 2018.
The MMA fighter previously told the court he had consensual sex with Ms Hand, also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, at the Beacon Hotel. He denied causing bruising to the plaintiff.
McGregor has since vowed to appeal the decision – saying he was ‘disappointed’ and ‘focused on my future’.
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