“This is a marathon. Not a sprint”: Conor McGregor withdraws from Irish presidential race ahead of elections

Irish mixed martial artist Conor McGregor has announced that he is withdrawing from the 2025 presidential race in Ireland.

He cited difficulty in securing the necessary nominations under Ireland’s electoral system, which requires backing by either 20 members of parliament or four local authorities. He took to his social media account to share his decision.

In his X post shared on Monday, September 15, 2025, McGregor described Ireland’s current system as a "straitjacket" that,

“prevent a true democratic Presidential election being contested.”

But it focuses on establishment-approved candidates.

Despite his withdrawal, Conor McGregor affirmed his sincere intentions to serve Ireland in the future. He said:

“This is not the end, but the beginning of my political journey. I am driven by a commitment to improve lives, defend rights, and serve the Irish people with dedication and integrity. I will continue to serve my people on the global stage lobbying for Ireland’s best interest’s socially and economically – of that there is no doubt. This is a marathon. Not a sprint!”

Here are more details.

How Conor McGregor ventured into politics?

Conor McGregor ventured into politics by announcing his decision to run for the Irish presidency in the March 2025 elections.

The controversial martial arts fighter took to his Instagram account to announce his decision at that time to his 46 million followers. He said:

“Who else will stand up to Government and oppose this bill? Any other Presidential candidate they attempt to put forward will be of no resistance to them. I will!”

His post followed his meeting with the US President Donald Trump on St. Patrick’s Day to promote anti-immigrant views, criticizing Ireland's immigration policies. He said:

“There are rural towns in Ireland that have been overrun in one swoop. Ireland is at the cusp of potentially losing its Irishness.”

Irish leader Micheál Martin said that his views “did not reflect the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day or the views of the people of Ireland.”

Conor McGregor declared his candidacy with an aim to secure nominations from local councils or members of parliament. However, he faced significant challenges in qualifying for the ballot as neither of the Irish lawmakers nor the local authorities supported his candidacy.

Taking to X in September 2025, he announced his decision to withdraw from the Irish Presidency. He wrote in his message:

“Following careful reflection, and after consulting with my family, I am withdrawing my candidacy from this presidential race. This was not an easy decision, but it is the right one at this moment in time."

He added:

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While I will not contest this election, my commitment to Ireland does not end here. I will continue to serve my people by using my international platform to promote Irish interests abroad, to strengthen our economic opportunities, and to advocate for transparency and responsibility in public life at home.”

Conor McGregor is also a proud dad to four kids: son Conor Jr. (born in 2017), daughter Croai (born in 2019), son Rian (born in 2021), and son Mack (born in 2023). However, he is currently not married but engaged to his fiancée, Dee Devlin. He proposed to her in August 2020, according to a report in People magazine.

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