Conor McGregor, the flamboyant former two-division UFC champion, is no stranger to controversy, but his latest bout—an audacious bid for the presidency of Ireland—has thrown him into a political cage match unlike any he’s faced before. On September 7, 2025, McGregor took to Instagram from outside the Irish government buildings in Dublin, urging his supporters to lobby local councilors to nominate him for the upcoming presidential election. “If you want to see my name on the presidential ballot, I urge you to contact your local councilors today and ask them to nominate me,” he declared in a video message, his trademark bravado on full display. The post quickly gained traction, even catching the eye of tech billionaire Elon Musk, who shared it on X (formerly Twitter) with a string of Irish flag emojis.
Yet, as the October 24 election looms, McGregor’s campaign is faltering—hobbled by political resistance, a contentious personal history, and a system that seems stacked against outsiders. According to The Irish Times, McGregor announced his intention to run back in March, shortly after a high-profile St. Patrick’s Day visit to the White House with then-U.S. President Donald Trump. Since then, he’s doubled down on his anti-immigration and populist rhetoric, promising to address Ireland’s rising child homelessness if elected. “Our councillors are the backbone of our communities. They work harder and deliver more for the people than those in the Oireachtas, who continue to fail this country time and again,” McGregor wrote on social media, appealing directly to local government officials. “If you are a councillor who feels your voice is ignored, your hands tied, and your community overlooked, then I ask you to stand with me. Nominate me, and I will give you the platform and power to be truly heard.”
But the rules of the race are clear and unforgiving: to appear on the ballot, a candidate must secure the support of either 20 members of parliament or four local or county councils by September 24. As of early September, McGregor’s name was conspicuously absent from any official list of candidates who had contacted local councils for that crucial support. The odds are daunting, and the clock is ticking.
Making matters worse for McGregor, the ruling Fine Gael party delivered a knockout blow to his prospects. On September 7, Fine Gael instructed all 246 of its local council members to refuse nominations for any independent candidates—including McGregor. As reported by multiple outlets, the party’s directive was explicit: “As Fine Gael has a candidate in the Presidential Election, Fine Gael public representatives are only to nominate the Fine Gael candidate. Fine Gael public representatives cannot in any way facilitate the nomination of any candidate other than the ratified Fine Gael candidate.” The party even ‘whipped’ its members to vote against any non-party nominations at local authority meetings, a standard but powerful maneuver in Irish politics.
With 20 of the country’s 31 councils set to meet and consider nominations for more than a dozen independent hopefuls, Fine Gael’s move significantly narrows McGregor’s already slim path. Although the party controls just 246 of the 941 total councilors nationwide—and McGregor technically needs only four councils to back him—there’s been no sign of support for him from any councilors before the edict. The alternative route, winning endorsements from 20 parliamentarians, appears even less likely.
McGregor didn’t mince words in his response, blasting the party’s actions as “a direct breach of democracy through the abuse of power and thus, a criminal action!” He posted on X, “A full misuse of authority! This situation must be challenged as an abuse of power, and warrants investigation by relevant authorities as well as review by the Standards in Public Office Commission.” This isn’t the first time Fine Gael has maneuvered to block McGregor’s political ambitions. Earlier in 2025, the party scrapped plans for a directly elected mayor of Dublin—a move partly motivated by concerns that a celebrity outsider like McGregor could win.
Still, the UFC star’s campaign is not technically over. As USA Today noted, the party’s tight grip on the nomination process could backfire, potentially stirring a wave of counter-support among voters who feel the establishment’s hold on Irish democracy is too strong. “It’s the kind of thing that could actually backfire and whip up a strong wave of counter-support for McGregor that otherwise wouldn’t be there,” one commentator observed. Indeed, party ‘whipping’—forcing members to vote as instructed—is common in Irish politics, but the optics of shutting out independents are raising eyebrows both inside and outside the political bubble.
Yet, even if McGregor could overcome the institutional hurdles, he faces a litany of personal controversies that have turned many lawmakers and voters against him. As reported by USA Today and other outlets, McGregor has been labeled a misogynist and a thug by some politicians, and his criminal record is impossible to ignore. In December 2024, a Dublin jury found McGregor liable in a sexual assault lawsuit, ordering him to pay nearly 250,000 Euros to Nikita Hand for a 2018 incident. In January 2025, he was sued again over an alleged sexual assault after the 2023 NBA Finals in Miami. And in 2019, McGregor pleaded guilty to assaulting an elderly man in a Dublin bar—an incident widely circulated on social media and damaging to his public image.
Despite (or perhaps because of) his polarizing persona, McGregor remains a household name in Ireland and well beyond. His meteoric rise in the UFC—becoming the first fighter to hold championships in two divisions simultaneously—earned him a 22-6 professional record and a devoted fanbase. His last fight was in 2021 at UFC 264 against Dustin Poirier, after which he’s largely stayed in the public eye through business ventures, social media, and now, politics.
The Irish presidency, while largely ceremonial, is not without influence. The president appoints the prime minister, ministers, and judges, and signs bills into law. It’s a seven-year term, renewable once, and the office has traditionally been a dignified, nonpartisan role. McGregor’s campaign, with its populist overtones and brash style, is a dramatic departure from the norm.
With the nomination deadline just weeks away and no official endorsements in sight, McGregor’s path to the Áras an Uachtaráin—the Irish presidential residence—looks steeper than ever. Whether his defiant stance against the political establishment will galvanize a late surge of support or simply reinforce the barriers he faces remains to be seen. For now, Ireland watches with a mix of fascination, skepticism, and the sense that, in politics as in the octagon, anything can happen—but not every fighter gets a shot at the title.
