Conor McGregor has made more official appearances at The White House in recent years than he has appeared inside the UFC’s Octagon.
The Irish mixed martial arts star was a special guest in Washington on Monday for St. Patrick’s Day.
The fighter met with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt Monday morning and even answered some questions from gathered media.
The 36-year-old from Dublin was not only at The White House to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. He was also scheduled to meet with Donald Trump Monday afternoon for more than merely a photo op.
McGregor, a former two-weight UFC champion, has suggested in the past he could one day enter politics, even teasing in late 2023 he was considering a run for President of Ireland. He has been vocal on social media about various politics-related issues including crime rates.
“I’m here to raise the issues the people of Ireland face,” McGregor said at the podium. “Our government has long since abandoned the voices of the people of Ireland and it’s high time that America is made aware of what is going on in Ireland.”
In January, McGregor attended the U.S. presidential inauguration as did a handful of other prominent UFC figures such as commentator Joe Rogan and fellow two-division champions Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre.
McGregor began his UFC career 7-0 en route to winning the featherweight championship in 2015 and the following year won a second title in the lightweight division. He has fought just four times since winning the lightweight belt in 2016.
Since then, he has also taken to many ventures outside the cage including facing Floyd Mayweather Jr., in a lucrative boxing match, launching an Irish whiskey brand, co-starring in a movie alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, and becoming a part-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. McGregor also referenced his desire to one day compete in a bare-knuckle match.
McGregor has not competed in MMA since breaking his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier in 2021. He had a scheduled return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 last June fall apart due to a toe injury he sustained.
McGregor is also dealing with the fallout of a 2024 civil jury decision that left him liable for an alleged 2018 assault.
UFC president Dana White said in early February he wasn’t sure when McGregor might make his return to UFC competition, but had previously said it likely wouldn’t be until later in 2025 if it did happen.
