Conor McGregor, the UFC legend, formally announced this week his intention to run for the presidency of Ireland. The controversial Irish fighter, who until recently was still competing in the octagon, will likely set his athletic career aside and redirect his efforts toward becoming a political leader.
Just last week, McGregor visited the White House and met with President Donald Trump, and in recent days has continued outlining his political platform. McGregor faces severe criticism from local politicians, having been embroiled in numerous scandals over the years, including an ongoing rape investigation. However, beyond these controversies, the Irishman receives considerable backlash specifically for his support of Israel.
During the war, McGregor repeatedly sided with Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He first criticized the Irish prime minister who described Israeli-Irish hostage Emily Hand as a "lost child," then condemned Irish citizens who display flags of terror organizations, and most recently, expressed outrage at his country's position during the hostage deal.
"Hamas paraded caskets of children around to crowd applause just the other day, I am not so sure there is a lower moral level than that," McGregor stated at the time.
In a recently published column, senior journalist Alan McLeod suggested that McGregor's overt support for Israel could prove politically costly given the anti-Israel sentiment prevalent among Irish citizens: "While his pro-Israel stances have earned him plaudits from far-right groups and pro-Israel organizations such as Stop Antisemitism, it has increasingly alienated him from his compatriots, who have come out in strong support of Palestinian liberation.
Ad hominem style attacks against me coming in hot by Irelands government elite.
Classic, and glaringly obvious to everyone, deflection tactics.
What is your response / plan of action to the issues I raised?
Ireland wants to know.
America wants to see!
Chip,chop now… pic.twitter.com/EPdsEFnGs9
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 19, 2025
"Conor McGregor has never been elected to anything, he doesn't represent the Irish people. In fact, we're all pretty embarrassed by him," Colum Eastwood, a member of parliament, stated. McLeod further argued: "McGregor's antics and actions have earned him a massive online following but have cost him the respect of much of his country."
"The thing that unifies Irish people is their hatred for Conor McGregor"
"The one thing that unifies Irish people more than anything else is their hatred for Conor McGregor," Irish journalist Sean Hickey observed. McLeod explained the foundation of Irish public sentiment: "Although geographically situated in Western Europe, Ireland's history is that of a colonized nation rather than a colonizer, making it almost unique among its neighbors. As such, the Irish public has always sympathized with the underdog. On Palestine, the country has remained steadfast in its opposition to Israeli actions.
"Like McGregor, the UFC has strongly aligned itself with the emerging global far-right movement. UFC CEO Dana White is one of Trump's most vocal supporters and closest advisors. In many ways, then, Nurmagomedov represents the people of Ireland far better than the racist, xenophobic hatred that McGregor and his ilk are trying to sell to the country," he concluded.
