Conor McGregor is set to visit the Oval Office today for a high-profile meeting with Donald Trump.
On Monday, the former UFC two-division champion made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room, where he was introduced by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who announced that he would be meeting with the President of the United States and other key administration officials as part of his St. Patrick’s Day visit to Washington, D.C.
HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY FROM CONOR MCGREGOR AT THE WHITE HOUSE!
@TheNotoriousMMA pic.twitter.com/YQPQDttUXB
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 17, 2025
“The Notorious” also briefed reporters and stated that his visit to Washington is “to raise the issues the people of Ireland face.”
“Ireland and America, we are siblings. We consider America our big sibling, Conor McGregor said. “So it’s important for Ireland to be a peaceful, prosperous country for 40 million Irish Americans to have a place to visit, [to] come back to their home. So we wish for our relationship with the United States to continue, and we wish to be taken care of by the big bro. The United States should look after its little bro. And that’s how we feel.”
Conor McGregor in the White House press briefing room … #StPatricksDay
pic.twitter.com/aEZCv9rVQr
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) March 17, 2025
McGregor and Trump share a strong mutual admiration, a connection underscored when the 47th U.S. president personally invited the UFC superstar to his inauguration ceremony in January after being re-elected this past November.
Last week, during a bilateral meeting with Ireland’s Taoiseach, Micheal Martin, Trump praised Conor McGregor, admiring his tattoos, fighting style, and larger-than-life presence. He attributed the 36-year-old Irishman’s success to the toughness of the Irish people.
Donal Trump says he's a big fan of Conor McGregor:
"I do happen to like your fighter. He's got the best tattoos I've ever seen. Conor's great… Ireland's always had a lot of good fighters—you know why, because they're tough people."
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) March 12, 2025
“The Notorious” hasn’t stepped into the Octagon since suffering a brutal leg fracture during his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2023. He was set to make his long-awaited return at UFC 303 last June in a welterweight bout against Michael Chandler, but the showdown was scrapped just weeks before fight night after McGregor was forced to withdraw due to a toe injury.
Conor McGregor has since been entangled in multiple legal battles, with one of the most significant coming in November when a jury in the Dublin High Court found him liable for assaulting Nikita Hand, who had accused the former UFC lightweight champion of sexually assaulting her in December 2018.
McGregor is also embroiled in another civil lawsuit, with an anonymous woman accusing him of sexual assault during the Heat vs. Celtics NBA Finals game in June 2023.
