But his profile in the US and in Ireland is higher than ever. He has been branded racist and a homophobe, and during the pandemic, he rallied online against lockdown laws, accusing Ireland of cowering to the European Union.
Amid the ugly and violent riot that followed a stabbing attack outside a Dublin school that left three young children and two adults injured in November, xenophobic rumours swirled among Irish far-right and anti-immigrant groups on the messaging app Telegram about the nationality of the suspect.
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McGregor, who grew up in Dublin’s south-side working-class suburb of Crumlin, himself posted several comments on X criticising the Irish government policy on immigration and law and order, declaring: “Ireland, we are at war.”
His posts were later examined by police over claims they incited violence. In a later post, he said he did not condone the riots, but “I do understand frustrations … and I do understand a move must be made to ensure the change we need is ushered in”.
Asked not long after that event if they would vote for McGregor if he ran for the job, just 8 per cent of those polled by the Sunday Independent said they would, while 89 per cent said they would not.
Regardless, some commentators, such as the Irish Times′ Fintan O’Toole, still think the idea of McGregor as the figurehead the Irish far-right craves must be taken seriously.
“Ireland does not have a Marine Le Pen, a Giorgia Meloni, a Geert Wilders. But I think we are looking in the wrong place,” he wrote. “The model that might work in Ireland is American, not European.”
“Could McGregor be our Trump? Absolutely. He occupies a similar space now to the one Trump inhabited before 2015: immensely famous, with a fervent fan base, a persona forged in cod-gladiatorial showbusiness, a genius for personal branding and a toxic narcissism that is the political style of our times.”
Much in common? Donald Trump watches a UFC fight in Nevada last year.Credit: Getty Images
Like Trump, McGregor has a long list of public misdemeanours and legal issues. They include a 2018 incident in which the fighter and his entourage attacked an opponent’s bus at an arena in Brooklyn, resulting in a fine and community service for McGregor. He has also faced several allegations of sexual assault, including a claim made by a woman last year in Miami, where the state attorney’s office there dropped the case lacking evidence.
Ireland is only now beginning to reckon with how extremist politics regained a foot here, erupting into violence that shattered images of the country’s welcoming spirit and bringing underlying grievances to the surface.
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The country has a deep housing crisis, and dissatisfaction has fuelled a backlash against refugees and asylum seekers, with critics saying that foreigners are receiving preferential treatment. Far-right protesters have held rallies chanting anti-immigrant slogans such as “Ireland is full”.
McGregor’s declarations have been riddled with contradictions and, like Trump, he seems oversensitive to criticism. Like his career in the ring, he likes taking swings at the political class, but one question remains: Can he go the distance?