Is UFC legend Conor McGregor running for Irish president?

There’s no definitive evidence that Conor McGregor is officially running for President of Ireland in the 2025 election, but he’s certainly been teasing the idea—and making waves while at it.

McGregor, the former UFC champ turned whiskey mogul, first floated the notion of a presidential bid back in December 2023, railing against Ireland’s political establishment with quips about “thieves of the working man” and eyeing the 2025 race. He cranked up the volume in September 2024, posting a fiery manifesto, claiming he’s the “only logical choice” to lead Ireland. He boasted about summoning or dissolving the Dáil (Ireland’s parliament) to hold politicians accountable, ending with, “2025 is upcoming…” Posts from that time hyping him as Ireland’s Trump—show the buzz hasn’t died down. Even Elon Musk tossed an “awesome” his way, and Andrew Tate pledged a vote (though he can’t, as a non-resident).

But here’s the rub: it’s still just talk. To run, McGregor needs nominations from 20 Oireachtas members (parliamentarians) or four local councils under Ireland’s Constitution—steep hurdles for a guy with no political track record and a rap sheet that includes a recent civil liability for a 2018 sexual assault, plus past dust-ups like a 2019 phone-smashing incident. A Trinity College Dublin law prof, David Kenny, called his Dáil-dissolving bravado “nonsense” and “constitutionally illiterate”—the president can’t just do that solo; it’s on the Taoiseach’s advice. Polls haven’t been kind either: a Sunday Independent survey pegged his support at 8%, with 89% saying no thanks. Bookies at Paddy Power had him at 50/1 odds in September 2024, far behind favorites like Micheál Martin.

So, is he running? He hasn’t filed papers or secured nominations—at least not publicly by today’s date. His camp’s quiet, and no official campaign’s launched. The October 27, 2025, election looms, but McGregor’s been sidelined from UFC since a 2021 leg break, and a planned 2024 comeback fizzled with a toe injury. Some see this as a pivot from fighting, others as a populist stunt tapping Ireland’s migration and crime gripes.

Could he? Sure, he’s 36, Irish, and brash enough. Will he? That’s the million-euro question, and right now, it’s a maybe leaning toward hot air.