Conor McGregor ends bid to be Irish president

Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor has said he is no longer seeking to run in next month's Irish presidential election.

His announcement on Monday came hours before he was due to address meetings of Dublin City Council and Kildare County Council, where he was seeking to secure the nominations needed for his name to be on the ballot.

In a post on social media, McGregor said the decision to withdraw his name had come "following careful reflection, and after consulting with my family".

Ireland will head to the polls on 24 October, with three candidates so far having secured the backing needed from Irish lawmakers or local authorities to stand in the race.

Presidential hopefuls must be an Irish citizen aged 35 or older, and require the endorsement of at least 20 members of the Irish parliament, the Oireachtas, or four out of Ireland's 31 local authorities.

McGregor, a former champion fighter who has not competed professionally since July 2021, said: "This was not an easy decision, but it is the right one at this moment in time."

The 37-year-old, who first vowed to run for the presidency last year, said he was "truly humbled" by the "support and encouragement" he received.

He said the election's eligibility rules were a "straitjacket" that prevented "a true democratic presidential election being contested".

Earlier this year, McGregor lost a civil jury appeal against a finding that he had sexually assaulted a woman, which he denied.

Nikita Hand accused McGregor of raping her in a hotel in Dublin in 2018. In November 2024, she won her claim against him for damages in a civil case.

McGregor was ordered to pay £206,000 in damages plus costs to Ms Hand.

• Irish presidential election: Who are the runners and riders?

Prospective presidential candidates have until 24 September to secure the backing needed to make it onto the ballot, with three so far having done so.

Catherine Connolly is an independent who is backed by some left-wing parties - Labour, the Social Democrats, and People Before Profit.

Jim Gavin has been selected by Fianna Fáil, which is the largest party in the Irish parliament and led by the Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

Heather Humphreys is the candidate for Fine Gael, a centre-right party which is currently in coalition government with Fianna Fáil.