Conor McGregor hasn’t fought in the UFC in nearly four years, but his name is still on the tips of tongues whenever Irish fighters are mentioned.
President Donald Trump met with Ireland’s Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, in the Oval Office on Wednesday. During the bilateral meeting to discuss, among other things, trade balance, Trump made references to McGregor.
Trump showed admiration for McGregor—the former UFC champion’s tattoos and fighting prowess. He attributed McGregor’s success to the toughness of the Irish people.
“I do happen to like your fighter. He’s got the best tattoos I’ve ever seen. Conor’s great… Ireland’s always had a lot of good fighters—you know why, because they’re tough people.”
Here is a look at the clip which was clipped by Home of Fight from Trump War Room.
Trump has long been an admirer of combat sports, specifically the UFC.
He and UFC President Dana White are friends. Trump has attended several UFC events over the years, and White has been a speaker/guest at the Republican National Convention.
He has assisted Trump’s campaigns to become President of the United States all three times, and the two men seem to have a strong bond.
The connection to Trump extends to many prominent fighters on the UFC’s roster, as many were strong advocates for Trump in the most recent election. Justin Gaethje, Kamaru Usman, Jon Jones, Henry Cejudo, Colby Covington and others made it clear they supported Trump’s candidacy for president.
Likewise, McGregor was present for Trump’s inauguration in January, and the latter has been Octagonside for the former champion’s fights—including his last one against Dustin Poirier in 2021.
McGregor hasn’t won a fight since January 2020, when he stopped Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
McGregor was scheduled to return to the Octagon in June 2024 to face Michael Chandler. However, a toe injury pushed McGregor out of the fight, and a new date wasn’t set. McGregor has engaged in verbal sparring with countless fighters like Ilia Topuria, Poirier, Belal Muhammad, Sean O’Malley, and others.
Nothing official has come from the trash talk, and inevitably, it seems fans are putting less stock in the chances that any of it will lead to an actual fight.
It is unclear if or when McGregor will ever return to the UFC. He has expressed interest in competing in other combat sports events, like an exhibition boxing match against Logan Paul and a fight with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, with whom he is part-owner.
Up to this point, McGregor’s contractual obligations to the UFC have prohibited him from fighting outside of the promotion. White has consistently fielded questions about McGregor’s potential return to the promotion, but the confidence in his answers has begun to wane of late.
At one point, White said he felt McGregor would definitely fight in the UFC in 2025, but most recently, he sounded less sure.
McGregor will be 37 in July; thus, the clock is ticking for him as it pertains to competing at the highest level in any combat sport.
Even with the inactivity, it is clear that the Notorious is still top of mind for many when it comes to professional pugilism.
