Chael Sonnen laughs at Conor McGregor's failed 'phony' presidential campaign

On Monday, former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor announced that his run for President of Ireland was over. 

The Irishman, regularly surrounded in controversy, teased a presidential run last year and made an official announcement in March that he intended to be on the Irish presidential ballot.

Former UFC title challenger and current UFC analyst Chael Sonnen trashed McGregor and his 'fake' aspirations to become the Ireland president.  

"Conor McGregor has withdrawn his pending plans to be the president of Ireland," Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. "There's only one problem with that Conor, you were never running for president of Ireland, 

"You did not suspend a campaign. I'd love to help you with that. You don't have a campaign. You're not returning your raised funds and telling your supporters, 'Maybe next time.' There are no raised funds. There weren't any supporters. You're not coming over to take those yard signs down. There were no signs in the yard," Sonnen said while laughing. "This wasn't real. It wasn't real."

In McGregor's statement announcing his withdrawal from seeking the presidential office, The Irishman said he came to decision after "careful reflection, and after consulting with my family." Sonnen scoffed at the thought of McGregor consulting anyone before doing anything.

 "The most real thing about the phony campaign was the concession," Sonnen said. "The concession was so clearly written by somebody else. 'After consulting with his family' he said. I love it, and no politician, male or female, Democrat or Republican, has ever stepped down from a campaign without saying they have consulted with their family.

"But when you're blowing coke, getting blown by strippers, running in and out of court dates for this very thing, oh, by the way, tying a dumbbell to your hoo-ha, it's a little hard to act as though you're the guy that consults with family. You're very clearly the guy that does whatever he feels like. This whole, I talked to my family routine, the whole idea around that was so incredibly absurd."

McGregor has been out of action since breaking his leg in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. He's teased an octagon return for years but it hasn't came to fruition.

He was expected to return at UFC 303 against Michael Chandler in June 2024 but pulled out of the fight citing a toe injury. The Irishman now wants his comeback to be part next year's White House fight card, and UFC CEO Dana White would like him to potentially headline the event.