Conor McGregor announced on Thursday his candidacy to be the next president of Ireland.
The 36-year-old mixed martial artist said he’s throwing his hat into the ring three days after meeting with President Trump at the White House.
McGregor declared his intentions in an Instagram post, citing a pending immigration bill that would streamline immigration throughout the European Union as his primary motivation for entering politics.
“Who else will stand up to government and oppose this bill? I will,” he captioned of photo of himself sporting a green “Make Ireland Great Again” cap.
McGregor said he looks forward to debating other candidates and winning the election, which must take place by Nov. 11.
“This is the future of Ireland with me as president,” he said. “All citizens of Ireland have a voice and a choice on their future!”
Earlier this week, McGregor called his meeting with Trump “most important,” though Ireland’s deputy foreign minister downplayed the visit.
“Let me be perfectly clear, Conor McGregor is not here in the United States representing Ireland or the people of Ireland,” Simon Harris clarified Tuesday. “He’s here in a personal capacity.”
Meanwhile, Irish leader Micheál Martin visited the White House in an official capacity last week. During that chat, Trump indicated McGregor was his favorite Irishman.
McGregor enjoyed great popularity on the Emerald Isle during his prime as a champion brawler, though his approval took a dive in November after a jury found him liable for sexually assaulting a woman in 2018. The Irish Mirror said he lost 400,000 social media followers in the weeks following the verdict.