Conor McGregor abruptly ended his campaign to become president of Ireland after announcing he was dropping out of the upcoming election, but not giving up on future political aspirations.
It turns out McGregor’s desire to get involved in politics dates back much further than this recent run because his former teammate and friend Artem Lobov says it was something the Irish superstar contemplated many times in the past. During a PFL conference call Wednesday, Lobov revealed that McGregor was strategically adding political contacts to his résumé while he was still on top of the world as a two-division champion in the UFC.
“Running for president is something that we have spoken [about] all the way back [in the past],” Lobov told MMA Fighting. “One of the reasons for even for me to arrange a meeting with [Russian president] Vladimir Putin for Conor, that all had those kind of future aspirations. Running for president, you want to establish some contacts in the political world and obviously Vladimir Putin is one of the main figures in politics worldwide. We always spoke about that.”
While Lobov no longer counts McGregor among his closest friends after a falling out and eventual lawsuit being filed over proceeds from the sale of the Irish whiskey brand Proper No. 12, the former bare-knuckle brawler was fully behind a potential run for president at one time.
That has since changed because Lobov doesn’t see McGregor as the same person he once knew so well, which is why he supported the move to drop out of the attempt to become a presidential candidate.
“This time around, I support the decision to withdraw because I don’t think Conor is in the right space right now,” Lobov explained. “Not in the right mindset to run for president. He has to get his ducks in a row first. We saw he pulled out of a press conference. That’s not Conor. I know Conor that showed up to fight for the interim belt with no legs. Both of his ligaments were torn in both of the knees, he was completely unable to walk and still showed up.
“That’s the Conor I know. That’s the Conor that people believe would make a good president. I agree. That Conor for sure would make a great president and would address all the issues that need to be addressed right now in Ireland.”
Despite not fighting since 2021, McGregor has stayed in the headlines over the past few years and not everything has been positive for the former two-division UFC champion.
This past December, he was found liable by a court in Ireland after a woman sued McGregor for allegedly sexually assaulting her in 2018. McGregor filed an appeal to the verdict that was later denied.
McGregor faces a separate lawsuit in the United States from another woman claiming he assaulted her at a Miami Heat basketball game in 2023.
Lately, McGregor has been focused on his comeback after announcing his desire to compete on the first-ever UFC White House card in 2026, while also putting time into BKFC as part-owner in the bare-knuckle fighting promotion.
For his part, Lobov, who makes his return from retirement at the upcoming PFL Champions card in Dubai on Oct. 3, didn’t point to any specific issues McGregor is facing right now as the reason why he dropped out of the presidential race in Ireland.
“I don’t think he’s in the right mind frame right now to run for president,” Lobov said. “There’s a lot of things he needs to fix before he can take on such an important role. I see it as a good thing him dropping out.”