(AFP) – Conor McGregor, the Irish mixed martial arts fighter accused of sexual assault in multiple countries including the United States, lashed out at illegal immigration Monday during a St. Patrick’s Day visit to Washington to meet President Donald Trump. “The illegal immigration racket is running ravage on the country,” McGregor said of his homeland, speaking in the White House briefing room alongside the president’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt.
Dressed in a green business suit to mark St. Patrick’s Day, the centuries-old commemoration of all things Irish, McGregor was at the White House at Trump’s invitation and participated in an impromptu Q&A session with reporters. “There are rural towns in Ireland that have been overrun in one swoop,” he said, adding: “Ireland is at the cusp of potentially losing its Irishness.” The 36-year-old former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star said he is “here to raise the issue and highlight it,” and that he would be “listening” to Trump on immigration — one of the president’s main focus areas as he seeks to ramp up deportations of people in the United States without proper documentation.
The apparently off-the-cuff comments earned swift pushback from Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, who met with Trump last week in the White House. “Conor McGregor’s remarks are wrong, and do not reflect the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, or the views of the people of Ireland,” the premier posted on X. Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a sport that combines various combat techniques and can be extremely violent. It has been gaining popularity, particularly as Trump campaigned in 2024 with stars and promoters of the UFC series that is popular with many male voters.
Last week in the White House, during a traditional visit by Ireland’s prime minister to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the 78-year-old Trump said he admires McGregor — and also gave Martin a dressing down over trade. Nicknamed “The Notorious,” McGregor is one of the biggest stars in UFC, the most famous and lucrative MMA league. He is known for his aggressive, provocative temperament — and noted for occasional anti-immigration outbursts.
In November 2024, the fighter was ordered by an Irish court to pay damages to a woman who claimed that McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in a hotel in Dublin in 2018. McGregor claimed they had consensual sex. More recently, the Irishman was sued in a US court in January, accused of sexual assault at an NBA game in Miami in 2023. At the end of that year, the champion fighter and entrepreneur had spoken on social media about a potential presidential bid in Ireland. At the time he received the backing of billionaire Tesla boss Elon Musk, who is now one of Trump’s most powerful advisors.
© 2024 AFP
