McGregor’s turbulent road back to the octagon

Conor McGregor is stepping back into the cage. UFC president Dana White’s announcement lit up the fight world, as fans realized that—five years after his last appearance—the Irish superstar is finally returning. He’ll face Max Holloway this Saturday at 9:00 p.m. ET on MAX during Las Vegas’ International Fight Week, a card that sold out in just four minutes. But while McGregor’s aura as a global icon remains unmatched, The Notorious has also spent years battling legal trouble, making him one of the most controversial figures in combat sports.

In November 2024, McGregor was hit with what may be the most serious case yet: a civil judgment for sexual assault stemming from an incident at a Dublin hotel in 2018. He was ordered to pay the victim, Nikita Ní Laimhin, $250,000. She alleged that McGregor and another man—who was later acquitted—assaulted her during a night of partying. Doctors had to surgically remove a tampon lodged in her uterus. McGregor later wrote on X: “I know I made mistakes… I never should have turned my back on the woman I love most in the world. That’s all on me.”

Just months earlier, he faced another accusation—this time in Miami during Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat. The woman claimed McGregor forced her into a bathroom at the Kaseya Center and attempted to kiss her and initiate sex against her will. McGregor denied the allegations. That same night, he infamously punched Burnie, the Miami Heat mascot, during a promotional skit, sending the performer to the hospital for pain medication.

Before that, Spanish authorities reopened an investigation into an alleged assault on McGregor’s yacht in Ibiza. A woman who knew him claimed he punched and kicked her during his birthday celebration. Fearing further harm, she jumped off the boat and was rescued near Formentera by a Red Cross vessel. A year later, he faced another accusation involving an alleged assault inside a car. Both cases were dismissed due to lack of evidence.

McGregor’s legal issues go back years. In 2017, he was cited for speeding in Ireland. He re-offended the next year and temporarily lost his license. In 2022, he was arrested again for driving without proper identification, without insurance, refusing to provide documents, and reckless driving—offenses that resulted in fines.

His UFC controversies are just as infamous. Ahead of UFC 223, McGregor hurled objects at a bus carrying Khabib Nurmagomedov using a dolly, injuring fighters Michael Chiesa and Ray Borg, who were forced to withdraw from their scheduled bouts. McGregor was arrested but released after posting a $50,000 bond. He completed five days of community service and attended anger‑management classes.

He’s also been accused of assaulting fans and bystanders. In 2019, Miami police arrested him for smashing a fan’s phone after the man tried to take a photo outside a hotel. A month later, McGregor punched an elderly man in a Dublin pub after the man refused a glass of his Proper No. Twelve whiskey. The victim was seriously injured and unable to leave his home for a week. McGregor has also clashed with celebrities, including rapper Machine Gun Kelly and Italian TV host Francesco Facchinetti.

McGregor’s return to the octagon promises spectacle, intensity, and massive attention—just as his career always has. But his comeback arrives shadowed by a long trail of legal battles and public scandals, making this weekend’s fight not just a sporting event, but another chapter in one of the most polarizing careers in modern sports.

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