Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor is back in the headlines in 2026, cleared of his anti-doping suspension and loudly circling an UFC comeback that, as of now, has yet to be officially signed.
Conor McGregor: The Notorious, explained
Conor McGregor is an Irish MMA fighter who became one of the most culturally dominant athletes of his generation. He rose through the UFC’s featherweight division with a knockout-heavy style and a gift for self-promotion that made him a global superstar before he ever headlined a stadium card.
His peak inside the octagon is undeniable: he became the first fighter in UFC history to hold two championship belts simultaneously, winning the featherweight title in 2015 and the lightweight title in 2016. He is also among the top pay-per-view draws in combat sports history, a category that includes his 2017 boxing crossover against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Since 2021, McGregor has been largely absent from active competition. A leg fracture suffered at UFC 264, followed by protracted recovery and, most recently, an 18-month anti-doping suspension (September 2025 to March 2026) imposed by USADA, kept him out. With that suspension expired as of early 2026, a return is widely rumoured for the summer of 2026, but no fight has been officially announced.
Off the canvas, McGregor has faced serious legal scrutiny. In November 2024, an Irish High Court civil jury found him liable for assaulting Nikita Hand and awarded approximately €250,000 in damages. That civil finding has survived appeal, the Court of Appeal (July 2025) and the Supreme Court (December 2025) both declined to overturn it. This is a civil liability finding, not a criminal conviction. A separate civil lawsuit alleging an incident in Miami in 2023 is also reported to be ongoing; McGregor denies those allegations and no criminal charges were pursued.
Beyond fighting, McGregor built a business empire anchored by Proper No. Twelve Irish whiskey (later sold to Proximo Spirits) and various other ventures. His precise net worth is not audited publicly, figures cited in media are estimates that fluctuate and should not be treated as confirmed fact.