UFC legend Conor McGregor just pulled out of the 2025 Irish presidential race. But this was not your regular “I quit” moment. Conor officially announced that the entire system is rigged against outsiders like him.
To get on the ballot, he needed endorsement from 20 MPs or four local councils. The political old guards made sure he got neither. A textbook gatekeeping move to keep fresh blood out.
But here’s the twist: McGregor didn’t sneak off quietly. Dressed in his trademark sharp suit, he sat in a dimly lit Dublin pub surrounded by fans and dropped a viral interview that lit up the internet.
“I didn’t step down……I stepped aside to expose the undemocratic mess in Ireland,” he declared, his Dublin accent thick with defiance. He slammed the political elite for treating leadership like a private club, warning that if the people’s frustrations keep being ignored, “the rumblings of an earthquake will come for the Irish people.”
Sound familiar, Kenya? Because it should. Remember when Gen Z protesters flooded Nairobi streets and stormed Parliament, calling out the same political recycling? McGregor’s fight mirrors ours. A rebellion against systems that silence the youth and reward the same tired faces.
His campaign centered on protecting Irish identity amid mass immigration, a reflection of grassroots anger when citizens feel unheard or sidelined. Critics called it a PR stunt, but whether true or not, his withdrawal has sparked a national debate: Will Ireland’s October 24 election be any different, or just another elite parade?
For us, the lesson is clear: resilience. McGregor isn’t retreating, he’s reloading. Just like Kenyan Gen Z, he’s proving that when the system shuts you out, you don’t beg for a seat, you build your own table. As he said, you can’t go against the people without facing backlash.
Will Ireland’s streets shake like ours did in 2024? Time will tell. But one thing’s for sure: real power doesn’t come from the whispers of the elite. It comes from the roar of the crowd. The revolution isn’t over; it’s just warming up.
