McGregor passed on Alcatraz fight to save Ireland: ‘Greatness does not rush’

Conor McGregor is continuing to hype up a campaign run for president of Ireland, and that’s currently holding his attention with the money not quite right in combat sports.

McGregor hasn’t competed since a gruesome leg break injury in 2021 that saw him snap his leg clean in two against Dustin Poirier. Since then there’s been a lot of talk of a comeback but no delivery. The closest we came was a UFC 303 fight that was cancelled a month out due to McGregor breaking his pinky toe.

As 2025 wore on with no news, it seemed like McGregor would just continue to use the tease of a fighting return to hype up his various businesses endeavors and sponsorships. But then “The Notorious” visited U.S. president Donald Trump at the White House, and now he has a greater calling: becoming president of Ireland and saving the country from immigration.

McGregor spoke on how his presidential run would affect his fight career in a BKFC press conference.

“Like I’ve said, I’ve got two fights on the contract, I’m in negotiations,” McGregor said of his status with the UFC. “Last week something happened to me. I went to the White House, and my heart bleeds for my country right now. So there’s a lot of stuff going on back home. I’m happy with what I’ve done. There’s something else for me that’s in my gut right now, and that’s kind of where I’m going.”

That sounded almost like retirement talk, but then Mac swung the other way.

“We’ll see, greatness does not rush,” he added. “There was an opportunity, or should we say a deal, to fight on Alcatraz recently in June. And they came to me, and it wasn’t my worth. As a fighter we have to know our worth. I hold every pay-per-view record in the book. I hold every gate record in the book. And my comeback would be slated as the greatest or the biggest, most anticipated comeback of all time. So it has to be right. And right now, Ireland is in my heart and that’s where I’m at.”

There had been unconfirmed rumors that Conor McGregor was fielding fight offers from boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh, and this comment on Turki’s June Alcatraz event seems to confirm that. MMAMania.com has heard from sources that there was a verbal agreement in place for McGregor to compete in boxing for Alalshikh in the fall. But everything is currently up in the air as McGregor’s political push develops.

McGregor’s chances of winning an election in Ireland have been reported as being ‘near zero,’ but sources say the Irish sports star expects some sort of U.S. announcement regarding Ireland at the start of April which could shake things up.

We don’t know what kind of crazy upside down world we’re living in where Conor McGregor is coordinating with the U.S. government to win an Irish election, but that seems to be what’s happening.

In this same bizarro world, McGregor could see himself fighting after becoming president.

“F—ing right I will!” he declared. “Of course, are you crazy? That’s part of why I want to do it! To be announced as the president of Ireland while having a fight? Imagine that. But for sure, hell yeah! Hell yes!”