The streets of Northern Ireland have delivered one of the more striking images before UFC 329 fight week.
A sign reading “Do Us Proud Max Holloway” has been spotted ahead of Conor McGregor’s return, and it tells its own story about how dramatically public opinion toward the man who once put Irish combat sports on the global map has shifted.
How Ireland Fell Out of Love With Conor McGregor
The relationship between Conor McGregor and his home country has been deteriorating for years, driven by a series of incidents that have made it increasingly difficult for many Irish people to remain in his corner. The most significant is the Nikita Hand civil case, in which an Irish High Court jury found McGregor liable for rape in a Dublin hotel in December 2018, awarding Hand nearly €250,000 in damages.
Conor McGregor denied the allegations throughout. His subsequent appeals were rejected in their entirety by the Court of Appeal in July 2025, and the Supreme Court refused to hear any further appeal in December 2025, bringing the legal road to a definitive end.
Beyond that, the infamous bus attack at UFC 223 in 2018 and a pattern of behaviour outside the octagon compounded frustration among people who once celebrated him as a national hero.
Conor McGregor Remains Completely Unmoved
None of it has visibly affected his preparation or his confidence heading into July 11. ‘The Notorious’ has promised a complete demolition of Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas, insisting Holloway is not on his level in any measurable category.
The noise from outside the sport, whether from Northern Ireland streets or Irish courtrooms, appears to register as zero distraction for a man who has always operated best when the world is against him. During a recent interview with the UFC, he said:
“I sonned Max when I fought him last, and I plan on doing the same again in more devastating fashion at [UFC 329].”
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