Controversial mixed martial artist Conor McGregor has turned to billionaire Tesla boss, Elon Musk, in order to save his campaign to become the next president of Ireland.

The former UFC champion launched his bid to become the next Irish president last week, an ambition he has hinted at for months, officially declaring so in a social media post.

However,due to his country’s current election laws, McGregor is seemingly not currently eligible to stand for the presidency.

A candidate must be nominated by at least 20 members of the Irish parliament, better known as Oireachtas, or four different local authorities, and be over 35 years of age, in order to get their name on the ballot paper.

While McGregor is 37 years old, his post on September 4, in which he pressed the Irish public to contact councillors in their local areas ‘to nominate me’, suggested that he has not yet reached the required number of nominations.

And now he has taken to social media once again to share a snap of a private FaceTime call with Musk, who spent 130 days in a US government role under Donald Trump.

The Instagram story shows the pair deep in conversation and is accompanied by the caption: ‘This is Superman level, folks.’

This post follows Musk’s public support for McGregor’s presidential bid.

‘No one will fight harder for the people of Ireland than Conor McGregor!’ Musk wrote on X, an application he owns, in response to McGregor’s announcement video.

The recording, which shows McGregor standing outside the Irish government buildings in Dublin, is two minutes long. In it, the fighter reaffirms his anti-immigration views and bashes the current regime.

The message that accompanied the video displayed that McGregor is still chasing nominations and called upon his supporters for help with the deadline to be on the ballot later this month.

‘Citizens of Ireland, the time for real change is now,’ it read. ‘As President, I will not sign any bill of law until it goes to the people first!

‘If you want to see my name on the ballot for the Presidency, I urge you to contact your local county councillors today and ask them to nominate me.

‘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.

‘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.

‘If you want to vote for McGregor, it starts now. Call your local councillor today and demand change.’ 

The post came just four days after Ireland’s Court of Appeal dismissed McGregor’s challenge to a civil ruling that found him liable for sexually assaulting a woman in 2018.

Three judges ruled on July 31 that his appeal failed on all five grounds and upheld the previous decision ordering McGregor to pay damages to Nikita Hand.

The civil trial concluded in November 2024, when a jury found McGregor liable for assault and awarded Hand €248,000 in compensation. She has since launched further legal action following the failed appeal.

In her latest filing, she is suing him and two other people for damages, claiming they were involved in malicious abuse of court processes. 

Currently, McGregor is not affiliated with any political party and has no elected office experience.

Even if he were to become president, the seven-year role in Ireland is mostly ceremonial. The president cannot propose or pass laws. They cannot also hold referenda on their own initiative.

In March, he sparked outrage when he first announced that he was planning to become president. Speaking at the White House, he said ‘illegal immigration racket ravaging our country’, adding the nation was losing its ‘Irishness’.

A poll of 134 politicians found that every respondent rejected his plan. One retorted: ‘He’s a misogynist and a thug. On behalf of the women of Ireland, he can f*** off.’