Neither Jon Jones nor Ilia Topuria, the legendary UFC champion fighter who has the best tattoos ever seen, according to Donald Trump

Donald Trump is not just a huge golf fan, with the US President recently reiterating his admiration for mixed martial arts, the UFC and Conor McGregor, one of the company’s most legendary, yet controversial, fighters.

In the latest round of Oval Office visits from world leaders, Trump held a bilateral meeting with Micheál Martin, the Irish Taoiseach, in which they discussed McGregor, in addition to trade balance, tax rates and more.

Trump’s praise for Conor McGregor and Ireland

The president had words of praise for the former lightweight champion and his tattoos, as well as for the people of Ireland in general, who he described as “tough,” “smart,” and “passionate”.

“I do happen to like your fighter. He’s got the best tattoos I’ve ever seen. Conor’s great, right? You have a lot of great Irish fighters. You know why? Because they’re tough people, they’re smart people and they’re passionate people”.

Trump also showed off his knowledge, and flattered Martin in the process, by referencing the considerable boxing skills of the Irish prime minister’s father.

There have been a number of Trump-UFC crossovers throughout the years. The 78-year-old has been seen at several of the company’s fight nights and is known to be friends with UFC President Dana White, who has been a speaker/guest at the Republican National Convention and voiced his support for Trump during his presidential campaigns.

McGregor was in attendance at the US President’s inauguration in January, his most high-profile public appearance in recent times.

McGregor found guilty in civil rape case

The 36-year-old hasn’t fought in the UFC in almost four years, yet remains one of its most talked about stars. The Dublin-born fighter has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons of late, with the Irish High Court finding he assaulted and raped a woman in December 2018 in a civil case.

McGregor was ordered to pay the woman approximately $1.9 million in damages and legal costs combined, and lost a number of sponsorship deals.

The Irishman had been due to make his UFC return in June 2024 against Michael Chandler but pulled out of the fight due to a broken toe. As it stands, there is no indication as to when, or even if, he will ever fight again in the company.

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