Dublin - What does a former martial artist who has been found guilty by a court in a rape trial do? He is running for president of Ireland.

MMA fighter Conor McGregor (36) always caused a sensation in the octagon until 2021: despite his big mouth, he was able to win the world title in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) in both the lightweight and featherweight divisions.

Outside the ring, however, the Irishman made negative headlines: At the end of 2024, he was ordered to pay around 250,000 euros in damages after a woman accused him of raping her in a hotel room. In 2023, the police investigated McGregor for discriminatory posts online ; shortly before that, he had beaten up a mascot at a basketball game , leaving him hospitalized .

After his comeback as a fighter failed due to an injury last year , "The Notorious", as he is nicknamed, apparently has a new goal in mind: he wants to become president of his home country.

"Vote McGregor and make your voice heard," wrote the 36-year-old in a comprehensive post on X, in which he also set out the route for his election campaign.

His main concern is the issue of migration.

Above all, McGregor wants to prevent Ireland from implementing the EU migration pact. As part of a reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), the EU states agreed last year, among other things, to distribute asylum seekers more fairly among the member states.

The former martial artist is not prepared to accept the fact that his country is to implement the new EU regulation by 2026: "Who else will oppose the government and oppose this bill? Any other presidential candidate they put up will not oppose them. I will!"

But McGregor also made it clear that he did not want to push through his political goals with a crowbar. He even promised his voters "true democracy", because although he was clearly against the migration pact, he wanted to let the people vote on it themselves in a referendum. After all, the decision "always" lies with the Irish people, according to the 36-year-old's patriotic words.

McGregor's latest foray into politics follows a visit to the White House with US President Donald Trump (78) - someone who knows how to win elections as a convicted felon.

Following the joint meeting at the beginning of the week, the MMA champion claimed that he had the "full support" of the US government for his ambitions. The next presidential election in Ireland is due to take place on October 27.