MMA superstar Conor McGregor tapped out of Ireland’s presidential race.
“Following careful reflection, and after consulting with my family, I am withdrawing my candidacy from this presidential race,” the pugilist announced in a long message posted on X.
The mercurial 37-year-old fighter was considered a longshot to compete in the race he announced he was joining in March. McGregor faulted the Irish electoral process for being constrained by “the straitjacket of an outdated Constitution” that protects establishment candidates and works against populist outsiders like himself.
He said late Sunday he’s been in New York since Wednesday, when he crossed the Atlantic Ocean to commemorate the 9/11 terror attacks and plans to stay in the U.S., where he hopes to meet with the Trump administration to talk about Irish jobs.
Irish voters head to the ballot box to pick the island nation’s next president on Oct. 24. Polling showed McGregor was likely to finish with 7% of the popular vote, according to outlets including the Guardian.
McGregor was considered one of the most exciting ultimate fighting contestants in the sport during his prime, though he last fought in July 2021 when he was stopped by Dustin Poirier in the first round of a January rematch Poirier also dominated.
In November, a Dublin civil court found McGregor responsible for sexually assaulting a woman in an Irish hotel in 2018. That ruling was upheld by an appeals court in July. Several companies ended their relationship with the former lightweight and featherweight champion in light of that shaming, according to ESPN. McGregor denies the accusation against him.
He’s expressed interest in participating in a fight at the White House planned for Independence Day 2026.
“That’s my event,” he told TMZ last week.
