Former UFC champion Conor McGregor has announced his intention to run for President of Ireland in elections later this year, CNN reports.
The Dublin-born fighter, who has become increasingly associated with far-right views, launched his candidacy on an anti-immigration platform.
McGregor, 36, made the announcement on social media, stating his opposition to the European Union’s proposed migration pact aimed at distributing asylum claims more evenly across member states. “
“Who else will stand up to Government and oppose this bill?” he asked his 46 million Instagram followers. “Any other Presidential candidate they attempt to put forward will be of no resistance to them. I will!”
The announcement follows McGregor’s appearance alongside Donald Trump at the White House on St. Patrick’s Day, where he echoed anti-immigrant rhetoric.
“Ireland is at the cusp of potentially losing its Irishness,” McGregor said, accusing the government of abandoning Irish citizens and alleging that rural towns were being overrun by immigrants.
Irish leader Micheál Martin criticized McGregor’s comments as not reflecting the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day or the views of the Irish people.
Once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, McGregor was the first fighter to hold two UFC belts simultaneously and was the world’s highest-paid sports star in 2021, according to Forbes. However, he has not fought in the UFC since back-to-back defeats four years ago and has become a highly controversial figure in Ireland, facing accusations of sexual assault, which he denies.
In January, a civil lawsuit accused McGregor of sexual battery during the 2023 NBA Finals in Miami. While police investigated, the Miami-Dade state attorney declined to press charges, and McGregor denied the allegations. In the fall of 2023, a civil jury in Dublin awarded nearly €250,000 in damages to a woman who claimed McGregor had “brutally raped and battered” her in a hotel in Dublin in 2018. McGregor testified that the two had consensual sex and vowed to appeal the verdict.
McGregor’s views have also extended to social media, where he has engaged in heated exchanges. Since 2022, McGregor has expressed support for anti-immigration protests, drawing accusations from Irish politicians that he is fueling discontent online and exacerbating tensions surrounding Ireland’s immigration policy.
Ireland, with a population of just over 5 million, experienced a record number of immigrants in the year leading up to April 2023, attracted in part by the country’s strong economic performance.
McGregor faces a significant challenge in securing a place on the ballot. Presidential candidates require nomination by at least 20 members of the lower and upper houses of parliament or by four of Ireland’s 31 local councils. Given his controversial image and outspoken views, few Irish lawmakers are likely to endorse his candidacy. Many publicly criticized him following the civil case verdict in November.
