A few things stand between Conor McGregor and a presidential campaign in Ireland.
In recent years, the UFC superstar has been drifting off more and more from the fight game, not having fought since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021.
Instead of entering the Octagon against Michael Chandler, a bout he withdrew from due to injury last summer at UFC 303, Conor McGregor now has sights set on the political ring.
McGregor hopes to become the president of Ireland someday, meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on St. Patrick’s Day to discuss immigration problems his country is currently having.
Despite fanfare for ‘President McGregor’, the former two-division UFC Champion isn’t going to able to run for office anytime soon.
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What’s stopping Conor McGregor from running for president?
Referred to as ‘the most famous living Irishman’ in the world, Tucker Carlson asked McGregor what’s holding back from running for president of Ireland.
“There’s stipulations,” McGregor explained.
“You have to get four county councils which are controlled by the government parties or you have to get 20 nominations of the Oireachtas which are all mostly party affiliates.
“Can’t just run for president,” McGregor said.
“So, how is it a democracy?” Carlson asked.
“We are not a democratic country,” McGregor replied.
The country Ireland is a unitary parliamentary republic with a President, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and Oireachtas (Parliament).
Conor McGregor says Ireland is ‘very close to losing its Irishness’
A native of Crumlin, Conor McGregor is the first and only Irish fighter to win a UFC Championship, let alone two. He won the featherweight belt off Jose Aldo in 2015 and the lightweight belt a year later against Eddie Alvarez.
After a legendary career in the UFC, McGregor recently made a retirement admission in pursuit of a presidential run which would take a seven-year term if the Irishman somehow pulled it off.
One of his issues with the current state of Ireland?
“The overspending that’s going on,” McGregor said.
“This is our public wealth being being administered into private hands, enriching people to bring in this influx of illegal mass migration that is changing the fabric of my country.
“Ireland is very close to losing its Irishness, and we will not let that happen.”
Conor McGregor’s previous comments on Ireland’s immigration influx were condemned by Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin after his St. Patrick’s Day visit to the White House. Martin posted to ‘X‘ McGregor’s remarks ‘do not reflect the views of the people of Ireland’.
