Conor McGregor often finds himself at the center of hilarious candid moments, and fans love every second of it on social media. That is part of ‘The Notorious’ witty and humorous nature, which continues to draw audiences toward him. One of those moments surfaced recently when the UFC star mistook a hardworking bus driver for a famous Hollywood actor. But who?

‘The Notorious’ has been spending the New Year with friends and family in Ireland. The former two-division UFC champion remains incredibly famous in his birth country, yet he never hesitates to move around like a regular local. While riding in a car, McGregor noticed a bus driver who he believed resembled American actor Sean Justin Penn. Without missing a beat, he hilariously began calling the Irish driver by the actor’s name, turning an ordinary moment into classic comedy!  

Conor McGregor confuses an Irish bus driver with Sean Penn

“Listen, am I trippin, or is Sean Penn driving an Irish bus, folks? That’s Sean Penn, yeah? Seany. Nah, bruh. That’s Sean Penn, folks. He’s driving an Irish bus. Fair play to him. The working man is a real hero, Seany. This isn’t Hollywood. It’s Ireland,” McGregor said in a video posted by Happy Punch on X. 

Well, Sean Penn is an acting legend who has played some remarkable roles in The Game (1997), The Thin Red Line (1998), and more recently, One Battle After Another (2025). So, with a face that famous, it is easy to see why ‘The Notorious’ made the mistake. However, the following callouts make it clear that the former UFC champion was not entirely confused. Instead, the UFC star seemed more interested in poking a little fun than actually mixing up identities.  

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Anyway, that was easily one of the funniest moments Conor McGregor has delivered so far in 2026, and there is surely more to come. With the White House event drawing closer and the Irishman’s anticipated return still looming, ‘The Notorious’ looks ready to produce a few more highlights as Dana White looks to add star power to the matchcard.

Dana White compares ‘The Notorious’ to a unicorn 

As UFC fans, we all understand the value Conor McGregor brings to the table. For years, the Irish superstar remained Dana White’s golden goose whenever he stayed active in the promotion. For the unversed, the former two-division UFC champion sold eight straight million-buy PPV events in an era where fighters often struggle to sell even a fraction of that.

“I call him the unicorn. The way that I look at the sport is, when you find a unicorn like Conor McGregor, we talked about this at the CBS town hall today. It’s like, when he would roll into a press conference, you know, he would come in and say, ‘I run this whole thing. Yeah, you guys, nobody would be making money here if it wasn’t for me.’ You just let a guy like that do his thing. In my business, when a guy like that pops up or a Ronda Rousey or a Chuck Liddell, it’s a home run.” White said about McGregor at Stephen A Smith’s interview.

Even though Conor McGregor has not competed since 2021 after suffering back-to-back losses against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 and UFC 264, his star power has barely faded. He continues to remain in the headlines through business ventures, controversies, and meaningful charity work. Now, with ‘The Notorious’ officially back in the drug testing pool for his potential White House return, he will keep creating buzz about his potential match on the fightcard.

That said, do you think the biggest star in UFC and MMA history will make a grand comeback this year and push for another championship run? Let us know in the comments section below.