Mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor still wants to be the next president of Ireland, but his bid faces a significant hurdle at the moment. The controversial UFC fighter-turned-politician isn't eligible to be on the ballot yet and a deadline is approaching this month.

McGregor took to social media on Thursday, Sept. 4, with a video filmed outside the gates of Irish government buildings in Dublin, Ireland, reasserting his anti-immigration and populist stances against the country's current regime, as well as plans to address a rise in child homelessness in Ireland if elected as president. But it was accompanied by a written message urging McGregor's Irish supporters "to contact your local county councillors today and ask them to nominate me."

An Irish citizen must be 35 years or older and nominated by at least 20 members of the Oireachtas (Ireland's version of parliament) or at least four local authorities to be included on the presidential ballot, according to the country's election laws. McGregor's message on Tuesday represented a change in tone from a social media post on August 27 in which he wrote, "I have it secured," in reference to the requirements to be on the ballot.

"Our councillors are the backbone of our communities. They work harder and deliver more for the people than those in the Oireachtas, who continue to fail this country time and again," McGregor wrote Thursday. "If you are a councillor who feels your voice is ignored, your hands tied, and your community overlooked, then I ask you to stand with me. Nominate me, and I will give you the platform and power to be truly heard."

McGregor initially announced his plans to run for president of Ireland in March, a few days after a White House visit with United States President Donald Trump on St. Patrick's Day. Ireland's presidential election is set to be held Oct. 24, with McGregor needing to receive the required support to be on the ballot by Sept. 24, according to the BBC.

McGregor referred to himself as "a master of martial arts, a solution-driven man," in Tuesday's video, but his candidacy is seen as a longshot because of his lack of party affiliation and a checkered past related to sexual assault allegations and violent behavior outside of UFC's octagon while becoming one of the company's most decorated, popular and polarizing fighters.

McGregor was found liable by a jury in Dublin and ordered to pay nearly 250,000 Euros in December 2024 after Nikita Hand filed a lawsuit alleging McGregor and another man, James Lawrence, had sex with her without her consent in 2018. McGregor was also sued last January by a woman who alleged McGregor sexually assaulted her after Game 4 of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets at the Kaseya Center in Miami.

Previously, he pleaded guilty to assault over a 2019 incident in which he punched an elderly man during an argument inside a Dublin bar.

McGregor became one of the UFC's biggest attractions beginning in 2008, and the first fighter to hold UFC championships in multiple divisions simultaneously. He owns a 22-6 career record. His last professional match occurred in 2021.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Conor McGregor's bid to be Ireland's president hits snag, UFC star asks for help

Reporting by Mark Giannotto, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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