Conor McGregor Calls Off Irish Presidential Run

Tue Oct 21 2025 04:45:15 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

After much anticipation, mixed martial arts superstar Conor McGregor officially withdraws from the upcoming presidential election in Ireland. The announcement comes just before he was set to gain crucial nominations.

Conor McGregor has announced he will not be running in the Irish presidential election, stating his decision comes after careful consideration and family discussions. He was expected to address local councils for nominations but chose to step back, citing the stringent eligibility requirements as a limiting factor. With the election approaching, three other candidates have already secured their places in the race.

Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor has said he is no longer seeking to run in next month's Irish presidential election.

His announcement on Monday came hours before he was due to address meetings of Dublin City Council and Kildare County Council, where he was seeking to secure the nominations needed for his name to be on the ballot.

In a post on social media, McGregor said the decision to withdraw his name had come following careful reflection, and after consulting with my family.

Ireland will head to the polls on 24 October, with three candidates so far having secured the backing needed from Irish lawmakers or local authorities to stand in the race.

Presidential hopefuls must be an Irish citizen aged 35 or older, and require the endorsement of at least 20 members of the Irish parliament, the Oireachtas, or four out of Ireland's 31 local authorities.

McGregor, a former champion fighter who has not competed professionally since July 2021, said: This was not an easy decision, but it is the right one at this moment in time.

The 37-year-old, who first vowed to run for the presidency last year, said he was truly humbled by the support and encouragement he received.

He said the election's eligibility rules were a straitjacket that prevented a true democratic presidential election being contested.

For months, McGregor had been sharing posts with his millions of followers on social media about his ambition to be president of Ireland.

Earlier this year, McGregor lost a civil jury appeal against a finding that he had sexually assaulted a woman, which he denied.

The vast majority of politicians in Ireland who commented on McGregor's potential candidacy said he was unfit for the office and was unlikely to secure a place on the ballot paper, many drawing attention to his legal cases.