Conor McGregor, that larger-than-life MMA fighter who’s dabbled in everything from whiskey to politics, has called it quits on his bid to become Ireland’s next president. The ex–UFC champ dropped the news on X this Monday, with the nomination cutoff for the October 24 vote just around the corner.
“After some serious thinking and chats with my family, I’m stepping back from running in this presidential race,”
He posted.
“It wasn’t a simple choice, but it feels like the best move right now.”
Every seven years, Ireland picks a new president mostly a figurehead gig, but one that’s got real cultural weight. You have to be an Irish citizen over 35, and to even get on the ballot, you need nods from 20 folks in the Oireachtas or four local councils.
A tweet from X.
At 37 and hailing from Dublin, McGregor had thrown his hat in ring earlier this year. He was gunning for support from councils in Dublin and Kildare. That St. Patrick’s Day jaunt to the White House back in March, rubbing shoulders with Donald Trump, really cranked up the buzz and made people wonder if he was for real.
In his announcement, McGregor kept it thoughtful, giving a shoutout to his backers and owning up to the hurdles he’d faced.
“Even though I’m not running this time, my love for Ireland isn’t going anywhere,”
He said.
“I’ll keep using my global spotlight to push Irish causes overseas, boost our economy, and fight for more openness and accountability back home.”
He went on:
“This whole thing kicked off a real talk about how democracy works here who can run, who picks ’em, and how we make sure the presidency is actually for the people. That discussion’s just getting started.”
But McGregor didn’t hold back on slamming the nomination setup, blasting the Irish constitution as “stuck in the past” and a real barrier. He reckoned it gives insiders a leg up and shuts out fresh voices.
“Change is coming, and there’s no stopping it,”
He fired off.
That said, experts and fact-checkers aren’t buying it entirely. The rules have been the same for ages, meant to weed out folks without solid backing from politicians or communities. Stories from RTÉ and The Irish Times suggest McGregor never really locked down the support he needed from councils or parliament members.
His campaign was dogged by legal woes too. Last November, a Dublin court hit him with a loss in a sexual assault civil suit, slapping on damages north of £200,000. The appeal got shot down in July 2025, piling on the bills and spotlighting his controversies.
Polls weren’t kind either. Early September numbers from Red C and The Business Post had him scraping single digits, miles behind big names like Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys and Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin. Plenty of politicians and councillors had already said no thanks to nominating him.
Reactions poured in mixed. Fans online were gutted, hailing him for shaking up the status quo. Detractors called it a pipe dream from the start, citing his court stuff and zero institutional buy-in.
Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald weighed in, saying it proves Ireland’s democracy is tough as nails. Some independent councillors figured it spotlights why we might need to tweak ballot access rules.
McGregor wrapped up by insisting he’s not done with politics.
“Change is rolling in,”
He said.
“And it won’t be stopped.”
Who knows if this means another shot down the line or something else in the public eye? One thing’s for sure: his short-lived run got people talking, not just in Ireland but everywhere, about celebs crashing into politics and how our systems hold up in this era of instant stardom.
