"The most real thing of the phoney campaign was the concession" - UFC legend pokes holes in Conor McGregor's withdrawal from Irish presidential race

A UFC Hall of Famer recently gave his thoughts on Conor McGregor's withdrawal from the Irish presidential race, mocking the MMA superstar for his explanation.

Earlier this year, McGregor announced his candidacy and worked hard to build a strong case for himself through various campaigns, citing his love for Ireland. However, on Monday, the 37-year-old announced on social media that he will not be running for Irish presidency. He thanked everyone who supported him and said that he made his decision after discussing it with his family.

McGregor's remarks sparked a reaction from many, including Chael Sonnen, who believes it was a ''phoney campaign.'' In a recent video on his YouTube channel, the UFC analyst said:

''The most real thing about the phoney campaign was the concession... Like, there was a passion. He's a very good performer, but he wasn't performing. Conor's serious. He's serious about loving Ireland... The concession was so clearly written by somebody else after consulting with his family... when you're blowing coke, getting blown by strippers, running in and out of court dates for this very thing, it's a little hard to act as though you're the guy that consults with family. You're very clearly the guy that does whatever he feels like.''

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Furthermore, Sonnen noted that McGregor's bid was not official and that he doesn't owe an explanation to anyone:

''The most absurd thing was thinking that he owed an explanation. An explanation to who? The parliament never recognized you. There was no vote. There was no ballot. There was no visit to their version of the Secretary of State's office. There was nothing about this... if I was to ask Conor... what it takes to run?... I don't think that he would have the answer.''

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below (1:21):

Conor McGregor's former friend responds to his withdrawal from Irish presidential election

Conor McGregor's ex-teammate Artem Lobov recently spoke to MMA Fighting and shared his thoughts about McGregor's choice not to run in Ireland's upcoming presidential elections:

"I support his decision because I don't think Conor is in the right mindset to run for the president. He has to get his ducks in a row first. He pulled out even from the [UFC 303] press conference, that's not Conor. I know Conor that showed up for the interim [title fight at UFC 189] with no legs... He was completely unable to walk and he still showed up.''

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena