Still hot on the heels of a Presidential bid in his home country, UFC star Conor McGregor has delved into the exact reasoning for his unlikely campaign for the hot seat.
McGregor, a former titleholder in the promotion, was booked to fight at UFC 303 back in the summer of last year against Michael Chandler but had to pull out after suffering a fractured toe in the weeks before the clash.
In the months since, he was challenged and has been challenged by many but the only fight he seems to be firmly interested in and is actually campaigning for the position of the president of Ireland.
This week, speaking with Tucker Carlson, McGregor opened up on his unlikely bid for the Irish Presidency. He claimed he hopes to emulate the success he found in combat sports in the political sphere.
“I have a love for my country,” Conor McGregor proclaimed.
“I fought to represent my nation’s flag on the grandest stage of fighting. That was my aspiration to represent my nation to open the doors of the fighting world and the martial arts world to the Irish public, he added, reminiscing about his time as an active fighter.
Notably, McGregor made his Octagon debut back in 2013 following fellow countryman, Tom Egan. He would go on to become not only the most successful Irishman in MMA but also the biggest star the sport has witnessed in the modern era.
Unfortunately, his reputation would come undone by his own nefarious activities, involving violence against civilians, cases of se*ual assault and the far-right anti-immigration rhetoric he seems to be keen on making his campaign about.
However, McGregor remains undeterred by the criticism of his actions over the past few years.
“It’s still a fight to represent my country to the best of my ability”, he told Carlson.
However, McGregor’s chances of becoming the President of the Republic of Ireland are slim to none.
Politicians after his reputation or worse, claims McGregor
The former UFC champion needs 20 members of the Oireachtas to nominate him, or four county councils to publicly endorse him. But as far as Minister for Public Expenditure, Jack Chambers, is concerned, McGregor’s bid would be “widely rejected” by the public.
“That type of extreme politics isn’t something that most Irish people would accept,” Chambers said, adding, “I’d be surprised if he received a nomination.”
McGregor, meanwhile, claims that the Irish politicians do not serve the Irish and have been trying to tarnish his image because he speaks against them.
“But I do not fear. Like I said it, I move under God and my nation can see my heart and what I am for,” he told Carlson.
According to reports, earlier last month, 134 members of the Irish parliament not only outrightly rejected McGregor’s ambitions, they also went scorched earth at this attempt at a hate-fuelled ‘extremist’ campaign.
Sky News reached out to each of the 234 Oireachtas members – 174 TDs or members of the lower house, the Dáil, and 60 senators.
They were sent back with statements that ranged from “He’s a misogynist and a thug. On behalf of the women of Ireland he can f*** off” to “I could not think of anyone more unfit for public office”.
Notably, McGregor’s address from the White House on Saint Paddy’s wasn’t well received either.
Cathal Crowe, Fianna Fail TD, took McGregor to the cleaners for speaking like a public representative and said, “He made a show of himself in Washington DC last week and with no elected mandate he certainly does not “speak for Irish people” when he travels overseas”.
