McGregor fires back at Trump's moon claim: 'The sun is Ireland's'

The two have publicly praised each other for years

Trump naming Khabib as his favorite UFC fighter once drew McGregor's fury

US President Donald Trump gestures from the cage at a UFC event held at the White House in June. [Getty Images]

UFC legend Conor McGregor (38, Ireland) fired back at US President Donald Trump's claim that the moon is American territory — staking out Ireland's ownership of the sun.

When prediction market platform Polymarket shared Trump's Truth Social post Monday (Korean Standard Time), McGregor responded in his trademark swaggering style. Quoting the post, he wrote, "The sun is Ireland's!" and added an Irish flag emoji.

His claim to the solar system's central star was, of course, a joke. At first glance, the leader of the world's most powerful nation and the once-most-popular fighter on the planet may seem to have little in common — but a flair for braggadocio is an obvious shared trait. The two are well known to have cultivated a friendship over the years, regardless of their very different stations in life.

McGregor paid an official visit to the White House last March, calling Trump's work ethic "inspiring," and the two have publicly praised each other across various social media platforms.

During Trump's first term, in January 2020, McGregor defeated Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 and the two exchanged warm words shortly after — McGregor calling Trump "a remarkable president, possibly the greatest of all time" and congratulating him on "a big win." When Trump met with the Irish prime minister last March, he praised McGregor, saying, "Conor is great — his tattoos are the best I've ever seen." McGregor responded on social media: "Thank you, Mr. President."

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor [Getty Images]

Their business ties have also grown considerably closer of late. According to corporate filings, American Ventures and Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, led a $23 million investment into McGregor's company, MMA Inc.

McGregor has even taken aim at Trump — no small thing for a man world leaders tread carefully around. The trigger came in 2024, when Trump told streamer Adin Ross in an interview that Khabib Nurmagomedov was his favorite UFC fighter. Furious at being passed over, McGregor called the choice "a shocking pick" on social media and sarcastically added that naming a Russian fighter was "a campaign-ending decision."

As a fighter, McGregor is in a precarious twilight. In July, he returned to the octagon for the first time in five years only to suffer a first-round TKO loss to Max Holloway due to injury. He has outlined plans for another comeback, though the earliest realistic timeline is around July next year. Even so, his ability to trade quips with the world's most powerful leader and capture the public's attention remains very much intact.

yjc@heraldcorp.com