The life of the ‘Notorious’ Conor McGregor: How the UFC star has spent his 2 years away from the Octagon

Conor McGregor is the UFC’s biggest star, a former two-weight champion, and a mainstream celebrity, with a Lamborghini yacht, a mansion in Ireland, and a nine-figure net worth.

A date and venue for McGregor and Michael Chandler’s likely fight hasn’t yet been determined, but Insider understands it could take place between September and December.

He was at the peak of his powers in 2016, when he fought and finished Eddie Alvarez, but since then McGregor’s life has been tumultuous.

That victory cemented him as a two-weight UFC champion, one year after his two-fight rivalry with Nate Diaz, and 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo.

McGregor made a bulk of his fortune in 2017, when he lost to Floyd Mayweather in a landmark, crossover boxing match that seemed to change the Irish fighter’s life forever.

The Mayweather fight made McGregor far wealthier than any of his UFC bouts, as he said that it earned him a $100 million payday, according to Forbes.

It is unclear what McGregor’s net worth is today, but in addition to the huge payday he received from fighting Mayweather, he also banked a significant chunk when he and his Proper No. Twelve business partners sold a majority stake of the whiskey brand for $600 million to Proximo Spirits in 2021.

Prior to fighting, and losing to, Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018, the NYPD slapped McGregor with criminal assault charges.

There was a wild build-up to UFC 229 as Nurmagomedov was seen on camera striking Artem Lobov, who was one of McGregor’s best friends at the time.

McGregor jumped onto a flight to New York so that he could confront Nurmagomedov face-to-face. The confrontation quickly descended into chaos, as McGregor found Nurmagomedov on a bus at a loading bay at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

After failing to get onto the bus, McGregor threw a dolly at the vehicle, smashing a window, and injuring people inside.

An NYPD spokesperson confirmed to Insider at the time that its department charged him with three counts of assault. McGregor eventually pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and agreed to five days of community service, as well as an evaluation for an anger management program.

Though McGregor rebounded with a 40-second win over Donald Cerrone in 2020, he suffered back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier in 2021.

McGregor suffered a broken leg during his second loss to Poirier, screaming obscenities at his opponent in an unhinged rant while his leg got strapped.

This image from July 2021 remains the last time fans have seen him in a UFC Octagon.

But McGregor is likely to return this year. He’s linked with a comeback bout against Michael Chandler.

McGregor and Chandler are currently filming episodes of the reality TV show “The Ultimate Fighter.”

The two MMA fighters are coaches on the show, training teams of prospects and veterans each.

McGregor’s team will fight members from Chandler’s team until one winner remains.

The show will conclude with McGregor and Chandler competing in a scrap themselves, at a date and venue to be determined later.

During McGregor’s recovery, he’s lived a life of luxury at red carpet events, enjoyed his fast cars, and sunny getaways.

It wasn’t long, for example, before he picked up his Lamborghini yacht.

Take a closer look at what McGregor said he bought:

But it’s not all been smooth sailing as, later that year, McGregor made headlines again after throwing a drink over Machine Gun Kelly at the VMAs.

TMZ Sports reported that McGregor had wanted to take a photo with Kelly, known for singles like “Wild Boy,” “Alpha Omega,” and “Rap Devil,” in which he dissed Eminem in 2018.

Kelly appeared to be in no mood to entertain McGregor’s advances — according to TMZ’s sources, he rejected the selfie request.

The gossip website said the musician escalated things by pushing McGregor, who spilled his drink when he stumbled back.

The ESPN reporter Marc Raimondi tweeted that “photos and videos from the scene show McGregor throwing a drink and both sides being separated.”

Here’s footage of McGregor throwing the drink:

—Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 13, 2021

The next month, Conor McGregor went on a family trip to Italy so his son Rian, who was five months old at the time, could get christened at the Vatican.

But even a vacation was not without controversy, as McGregor was accused of assault.

DJ Francesco Facchinetti and his wife, Wilma, claimed to be with McGregor and his fiancée, Dee Devlin, until around 2.30 a.m. on a Sunday morning in October 2021, when he says the MMA fighter attacked him.

“I took a punch for nothing,” Facchinetti said, according to a rough translation of posts on his social media accounts.

“That punch could go to anyone. My friends, my wife, or other friends. That’s why I decided to sue Conor McGregor because he is a violent and dangerous person.”

His partner, Wilma, added: “Then out of nowhere, he threw a punch in the face of Francesco. He was inviting us to another party. Francesco said, ‘Okay, let’s go’ and he hit him.”

Wilma said McGregor’s friends had to restrain him because “he wanted to continue beating Francesco.”

Insider sought request for comment from McGregor’s representative but did not hear back at the time.

To compound matters, novice boxer Jake Paul accused McGregor of being “coked up” in a tweet, mocking the Irishman after his latest scandals.

“Coked up Conor likes to play tough guy with musicians,” Paul’s tweet read. “Conor please try and do something when you see me!”

Paul provided no evidence for calling McGregor “coked up.”

Source: Insider.

The YouTuber was not the only one to make such a claim about McGregor, as Jorge Masvidal, too, said similar.

“I think he’s a bitter old man, just staring at the TV all day,” Masvidal said of McGregor during an interview on The MMA Hour.

He later added: “This guy is going to end up snorting himself to death or something … You go to rehab, motherfucker.”

Again, like Jake Paul, Masvidal provided no evidence for his claim.

Life went on for McGregor, though, who returned to Dublin to frequent a pub he bought — the Black Forge Inn — via Bentley.

He also spent time with his young family, celebrating his 3-year-old daughter Croia Mairead’s birthday.

“I love you with all my heart and soul my daughter,” said McGregor on Instagram at the start of January 2022.

“Here is your horse and carriage because you are royalty, baby girl, don’t ever forget it.”

Days later, McGregor’s pub — the Black Forge Inn — was petrol bombed while he was inside.

The Irish Sun’s crime journalist Stephen Breen was first to report the incident, and the newspaper added that two pipe bombs had been found near the pub’s rear entrance in a back alley.

Local publication Dublin Live said the attack took place while McGregor was inside, and cited a source who said two men were seen nearby on scooters at the time of the incident.

“There was two people allegedly spotted on scooters who passed the establishment at the time and next thing they were being chased by two others who had come out of the property,” the source said.

“McGregor had been holding a taste testing menu in the pub at the same time so the alleged attackers may have assumed he was inside,” they added.

Insider contacted the Black Forge Inn for comment but never received a response at the time.

Months later, McGregor offered a $50,000 reward for information.

In March, officials seized McGregor’s $185,000 Bentley after the UFC star was reportedly arrested on a charge of dangerous driving.

Conor McGregor was detained by police in March for dangerous driving, according to the Irish Independent, and released on bail.

His vehicle was temporarily seized, but was eventually given back to him.

A spokesperson told Irish Independent’s Robin Schiller: “Mr. McGregor was driving to the gym when he was stopped by Gardai for alleged road traffic violations. He passed the drug and alcohol tests taken at the station.”

In positive news, by April 2022, it appeared like the worst of McGregor’s broken leg was far behind him as he boxed competently in video clips posted to Instagram.

Was a comeback getting closer?

He then got high praise from his longtime MMA coach John Kavanagh.

McGregor got “the all-clear” for full contact MMA training and started “looking great” around July 2022, according to Kavanagh, who told the BBC that the ultimate fighter is “healthy, happy, and it’s great to have him back” in the gym.

McGregor then boldly announced in October 2022: ‘I’ll be back soon.’

“I’m going to be back soon,” McGregor said during an Instagram Live video, adding that he was hoping for a 2023 return.

Any comeback would have to be after his commitment to filming scenes for the upcoming movie “Road House,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal — a remake of the 1989 cult classic by the same name.

Meanwhile, Michael Chandler, who described himself as ‘the most electrifying’ fighter in MMA, amped his campaign to be McGregor’s comeback opponent.

“I do think that’s the fight to make,” lightweight stud Chandler told ESPN in November.

McGregor’s personal life continued to generate headlines, as he fell out with his long time best friend, and it was all because of money.

The crux of Lobov’s complaint against McGregor is around his whiskey brand, called Proper Twelve.

In 2021, McGregor and other Proper Twelve co-founders sold the majority of their stake in the business for $600 million, which saw the Irishman bank $150 million, according to Forbes.

The Irish Independent reported in November that the Russian fighter — a longtime teammate of McGregor’s at the Straight Blast Gym in Dublin — feels entitled to some of that $600 million.

Lobov, according to the Irish Independent, said he was instrumental in helping McGregor build Proper Twelve and wants 5% of the sale purchase (a cool $30 million).

The pair had a very public feud and, early this year, the judge denied Lobov’s lawsuit and ordered him to pay the legal fees.

Then, numerous observers couldn’t help but notice McGregor’s physique. UFC commentator Joe Rogan suggested it could be down to steroids.

McGregor’s urine would burn a hole in drug-testing cups, Rogan quipped.

The world renowned podcaster wasn’t the only one with suspicions about the fighter’s “jacked” new physique, as rival fighter Rafael dos Anjos also said McGregor is “juicing up.”

Insider contacted a representative of McGregor’s for comment but never received a response at the time.

McGregor, though, clapped back at Rogan with a tweet that has since been removed from the platform.

McGregor said: “Joe looks like his piss melts his knickers.”

He then belittled Rogan’s fighting capabilities.

“In the company [UFC] that long and never took a fight,” said McGregor. “Tae kwon do competition; call the cops.”

Another allegation emerged in January 2023. A woman claimed McGregor physically assaulted her. She said she jumped from his yacht in Ibiza to escape him.

After filing a complaint with Irish police, who shared it with Spanish officials, her car was set on fire outside her property in Dublin.

A brick was also thrown through her home in February.

That month, she discontinued the lawsuit.

Sources: AP News, Bloody Elbow, and Cageside Press.

McGregor’s fast life both inside and outside the UFC’s Octagon has been wrought with controversy.

And that controversy has followed him back to where he made his name — the UFC, as reports suggest there’s been violence during the filming of “The Ultimate Fighter” (TUF) reality show.

TUF is a UFC program that features two big-name athletes, each coaching a team of fighters looking to score wins over the other team.

In this season’s edition of the show, McGregor and Chandler are rival coaches.

Midway through filming the episodes, though, MMA reporter Amy Kaplan tweeted in March that McGregor invaded the cage to shove Chandler.

—Amy Kaplan (@PhotoAmy33) March 8, 2023

McGregor will return to TV screens for this year’s The Ultimate Fighter series, ahead of a box office bout against Michael Chandler.

A date and venue for McGregor and Chandler’s likely fight has not yet been determined, but Insider understands it could take place between September and December.