Conor McGregor ends bid to be Irish president

Mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor has announced that he is no longer pursuing his plan to contest next month’s Irish presidential election, ending weeks of speculation about his candidacy.

The announcement came on Monday, just hours before he was due to appear before Dublin City Council and Kildare County Council, where he had been seeking the official nominations required to secure a place on the ballot paper.

In a statement shared on social media, the 37-year-old said his decision followed “careful reflection” and discussions with his family.

Election Rules and McGregor’s Challenge

Ireland is scheduled to hold its presidential vote on 24 October, and so far three candidates have officially secured enough backing to stand in the race.

Under Irish law, any presidential hopeful must:

• Be an Irish citizen aged 35 or older
• Obtain endorsements from either 20 members of the Oireachtas (the Irish parliament) or four of the country’s 31 local authorities

McGregor, who has not competed professionally since July 2021, admitted that while the decision to step aside was not easy, he felt it was “the right one at this moment in time.”

He expressed gratitude to his supporters, saying he was “truly humbled” by the encouragement he had received. However, he criticised the election’s eligibility requirements, describing them as a “straitjacket” that prevented “a true democratic presidential election being contested.”

McGregor’s Political Ambition

The former UFC champion first declared his ambition to run for the Irish presidency in 2024, often using his massive social media following to promote the idea.

He posted videos urging the public to lobby councillors to nominate him, though he failed to personally attend the initial council hearings where prospective candidates made their pitches. This absence led political observers to question how committed he truly was to launching a serious campaign.

McGregor’s name did appear on the official list of those scheduled to present before Dublin and Kildare councils on Monday. However, his withdrawal was confirmed before he would have been required to speak and answer questions in a formal setting.

Legal Troubles Cast a Shadow

The fighter’s potential candidacy was overshadowed by ongoing legal controversies. Earlier in 2025, McGregor lost a civil jury appeal in a case where Nikita Hand accused him of raping her in a Dublin hotel in 2018. McGregor denied the allegations but was ordered to pay £206,000 in damages plus legal costs after the court ruled in Ms Hand’s favour in November 2024.

These legal battles contributed to doubts about his suitability for the presidency. Many Irish politicians voiced strong opposition to his candidacy, arguing that he was unfit for the office and unlikely to gather the political support required to enter the race.

Current Candidates in the Race

As of now, three contenders have successfully secured their place on the October ballot:

• Catherine Connolly, an independent candidate backed by left-leaning parties including Labour, the Social Democrats, and People Before Profit.
• Jim Gavin, the choice of Fianna Fáil, Ireland’s largest parliamentary party, led by Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
• Heather Humphreys, representing Fine Gael, the centre-right party currently in coalition with Fianna Fáil.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin, Ireland’s main opposition party and the largest political force in Northern Ireland, has announced it will declare by 20 September whether it will field a candidate of its own.

Prospective candidates have until 24 September to secure the necessary endorsements to appear on the ballot.

Conclusion

With McGregor’s withdrawal, the Irish presidential race now focuses on the established political contenders and their parties. While the fighter’s entry into politics had generated enormous public attention, his lack of institutional backing, combined with legal challenges, made his path to the presidency highly improbable.