As a publicist with a career spent crafting brands for individuals, I’ve seen how a well-honed persona can captivate the world – or unravel under scrutiny. Conor McGregor, the Irish MMA titan turned provocateur, first caught my attention with his brash charisma and relentless self-promotion, a masterclass in turning personality into profit. From knockout punches to whiskey empires, he built an image of unapologetic success, but his recent pivot to anti-immigrant rhetoric and political flirtations piqued my curiosity anew. What drives this shift – authentic belief or another calculated branding play? With my lens on how public figures shape their narratives, McGregor’s latest chapter demands a closer look.
McGregor is a former two-division UFC champion (Featherweight and Lightweight), renowned for his charisma, trash-talking, and record-breaking pay-per-view events. Raised in Crumlin, a working-class suburb, McGregor attended Irish-language schools and pursued plumbing before committing to MMA. His career took off in 2008 with his professional debut, and by 2013, he joined the UFC, achieving global stardom with victories like his 13-second knockout of José Aldo in 2015. Beyond fighting, McGregor’s ventures include his Proper No. Twelve whiskey brand and he’s amassed significant wealth, topping Forbes’ highest-paid athlete list in 2021 with €165 million ($180 million).
However, McGregor’s life is marked by controversy. Legal troubles include a 2018 bus attack at UFC 223, a 2019 pub assault, and a November 2024 civil court ruling in Dublin finding him liable for raping Nikita Hand in 2018, ordering him to pay nearly €250,000 in damages (he’s appealing). His MMA record stands at 22-6, but he hasn’t won since 2020, with his last fight a 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier. Today, at 36, his focus seems to be shifting beyond the octagon.
St Patrick’s Day Oval Office Visit
Yesterday, March 17, 2025, was St. Patrick’s Day, and Conor McGregor was at the White House, meeting President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. McGregor, invited as a guest, used the occasion to criticize the Irish government, aligning with your query. Speaking in the White House briefing room earlier that day alongside Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, McGregor said, “Our government has long since abandoned the voices of the people of Ireland,” and condemned an “illegal immigration racket” he claimed was “running ravage on the country.” These remarks drew rebukes from Irish leaders, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who said they didn’t reflect Irish views, and Tánaiste Simon Harris, who stressed McGregor had “no mandate” to speak for Ireland. Photos and videos from the White House and McGregor’s social media confirm his presence and statements, making him the figure you’re asking about.
McGregor’s Former Foreign Agent
McGregor’s former agent was Audie Attar, a pivotal figure in his rise to fame. Attar, born in 1979 in California to Iraqi immigrant parents, is not “native and white and Irish” but an American of Middle Eastern descent. He founded Paradigm Sports Management and began representing McGregor around 2013 when McGregor signed with the UFC. Attar’s background contrasts with McGregor’s recent anti-immigrant rhetoric, adding irony to their past partnership.
Attar’s role was instrumental: he negotiated McGregor’s UFC contracts, including the lucrative Floyd Mayweather boxing match in 2017, which earned McGregor over €91.4 million ($100 million). Their relationship soured by 2021, leading to a legal dispute. McGregor sued Attar and Paradigm for €549,000 ($600,000), alleging mismanagement over a sponsorship deal, while Attar countersued, claiming McGregor breached an exit agreement after leaving Paradigm in 2020. The case, covered by outlets like Bloody Elbow and MMA Fighting, remains unresolved as of early 2025. Attar’s foreign heritage – his parents fled Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s regime – makes McGregor’s current stance pretty intriguing, given Attar’s critical role in his success.
Political Positioning and Anti-Immigrant Stance
McGregor’s potential political ambitions have gained traction since late 2023, when he hinted at running for Ireland’s presidency in 2025, a largely ceremonial role requiring nomination by 20 Oireachtas members or four local councils – a high bar given his polarising image. His rhetoric has increasingly focused on anti-immigrant themes, notably after the November 2023 Dublin riots sparked by a stabbing blamed on a migrant (a naturalised Algerian). Posts like “Ireland, we are at war” and calls for deporting illegal immigrants have aligned him with far-right sentiments, earning support from figures like Elon Musk (who I have already written about) and Britain First’s Paul Golding.
Is this a genuine ideological shift or a calculated move? McGregor’s history suggests opportunism. Early in his career, he avoided politics, tweeting in 2015, “Fuck politics and fuck religion,” but pivoted during the COVID-19 pandemic, first supporting lockdowns then turning anti-establishment. His anti-immigrant stance taps into Ireland’s recent tensions – 231 anti-immigration gatherings in 2023 per Garda data – and mirrors global populist trends, as seen with Trump, whom McGregor praised on March 17. Yet, his platform lacks depth. He’s railed against government spending (e.g., a €335,000 bike shed) and immigration policy but offers vague solutions like dissolving the Dáil, showing a shaky grasp of constitutional limits. Polls from December 2023 showed only 8% of Irish voters supported him, with 89% opposed, suggesting his base is narrow – perhaps far-right fringe groups and his 58 million social media followers, many non-Irish. His White House visit, leveraging Trump’s anti-immigration stance, could be a publicity stunt to bolster this image, especially as his fighting career wanes (no UFC bout since 2021).
The “establishment” narrative paints McGregor as a reckless provocateur always seeking attention, but his anti-immigrant pivot might be less about conviction than branding. His wealth (€183/$200 million net worth) and global fame give him a platform few Irish figures match, yet his legal baggage – assault convictions, the rape verdict -undermines credibility. The irony of his foreign agent Attar, who helped build that fame, undercuts his nativist rhetoric. If he’s serious about politics, he’s betting on a Trump-like outsider appeal, but Ireland’s electoral system and public sentiment (per polls) suggest a steep climb. Alternatively, this could be another McGregor hustle – noise to stay relevant as his MMA star fades.
