You could argue Vladimir Putin is the man Conor McGregor would love to be: and the notorious fighter hasn’t shied away from his own political ambitions.
The disgraced former UFC champion, who recently lost a civil case against a woman who alleged he raped her, desires to become President of Ireland. Ranting on X earlier this year, McGregor said: “Ireland needs an active President employed wholly by the people of Ireland. It is me. I am the only logical choice. 2025 is upcoming…”
Since then, his reputation has been tarnished in Dublin’s High Court, but if he did ever gain power, he could ask his unlikely pal Putin for some tips, although for the sake of all that is good in the world, we hope he doesn’t. And below, we look at how the two infamous men struck up a bizarre and unlikely relationship.
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While Russian despot Putin had not yet invaded Ukraine, he had been accused of human rights abuses and was at the centre of poisoning scandals when he supposedly invited Conor McGregor to watch the World Cup final in Moscow in 2018.
Boasting on X, then Twitter, McGregor wrote: “Today I was invited to the World Cup final as a guest of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This man is one of the greatest leaders of our time and I was honoured to attend such a landmark event alongside him. Today was an honor for me Mr. Putin. Thank you and congratulations on an amazing World Cup.”
He then shared a picture of them together, but before posing with the tyrant, he was warned not to put his arm around him.
Not one to follow orders, McGregor released a clip of the awkward encounter on his Mac Life website. It showed him lifting his arm around the Russian President’s shoulders before his face quickly changed and he put his hands in front of himself instead.
One year later, the Irishman spoke about the encounter and revealed he gave Putin a gift, only for it to be checked for poison.
Speaking at a press conference in Moscow, he said: “Many people don’t know, the very first bottle of Proper Twelve Irish whiskey, I gifted to Vladimir Putin.
(Image: “irishphotos@mirror.co.uk” <irishphotos@mirror.co.uk>)
“President Putin’s security detail is second to none as I’m sure you know, you don’t mess around with Vladimir. So, I gifted the bottle and I gifted it to his security.
“They had to take the liquid from the bottle to make sure the liquid was safe and it was not maybe poisoned or what not and then it was gifted to Vladimir Putin. I haven’t got to speak to him since to see what he thought of it, although I’m sure he did have a taste and I’m sure he enjoyed it.”
Despite being friendly with Putin, McGregor’s biggest rival inside the UFC octagon was Russian champion Khabib Nurmagomedov who defeated the Irishman at UFC 229 three months after the World Cup final in 2018.
A brawl erupted after the fight when Nurmagomedov jumped into the Las Vegas crowd to have it out with McGregor’s teammate Dillon Danis. McGregor was then attacked by his opponent’s teammates inside the cage.
Unfortunately for McGregor, his buddy Putin seemed to take the side of his countryman Nurmagomedov.
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The Russian President said: “Anyone could have jumped [out of the octagon] in the same way. If we are attacked from the outside, not only you, we could all jump in such a way … there could be hell to pay.”
He added: “It’s better not to reach that stage.”
Nurmagomedov met with Putin and apologised for his behaviour and said his father and fighting mentor, who has since died, would “smash” him when he got back home.
However, Putin, who usually advocates for aggression, responded: “I will ask your father not to punish you too strictly, because you achieved the main task, worthily and convincingly.”