Conor McGregor’s day with the man who publicly admitted to having killed Osama bin Laden took an emotional turn, as he dropped a heartfelt 9/11 tribute. ‘The Notorious’ reflected on the tragedy on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in a lengthy social media post, looking back at the shock of watching the Twin Towers fall and the emotions that followed when he later heard that SEAL Team 6 had taken down the al-Qaeda leader in 2011.

“Today marks 25 years since the day that changed the world forever. 9/11,” McGregor wrote on X. “I’m not one for long messages on here, but this one means something.”

The post came after McGregor spent time with former Navy SEAL Robert J. O’Neill, who has publicly claimed that he fired the fatal shots that killed bin Laden during the secret raid carried out in Abbottabad, Pakistan, by SEAL Team Six.

The Irishman said spending time with O’Neill gave him a different perspective on what these men go through in the war zones and the weight they continue carrying long after they return home.

“Spent today with [O’Neill], and it hit me deeply,” he wrote. “I remember watching those towers fall. The shock. The anger. The heartbreak. The feeling that the world had changed forever. Then years later, hearing that SEAL Team 6 had taken down Osama bin Laden. Justice had finally come.

“Sitting with Rob today, hearing about the brothers, the missions, the things these men saw and carried home with them, you realize people only ever see the warrior. They don’t see the pain. They don’t see the demons. They don’t see what a man carries home long after the mission is over. That is sacrifice.”

O’Neill has become a close friend and business partner of Conor McGregor. The former Navy SEAL even recently sat down with the Irishman for an interview, where they discussed the anniversary of the attacks, O’Neill’s military career, and the sacrifices made by service members.

‘The Notorious’ also took a moment to honor the 2,977 people who lost their lives on 9/11, along with the families left behind and the first responders who ran toward danger.

“Today is for every innocent soul lost, every family changed forever, every first responder who ran toward danger, and every man and woman who answered the call after,” he added. “25 years later, the world still remembers. And it always will.”

It is worth noting that not too long ago, Conor McGregor and O’Neill spent time together inside a gym as part of his “1 of 1” interview series, where the former Navy SEAL gifted the UFC star a glove he claimed to have worn during the mission that killed bin Laden.

“I wanted you to have that as a gift. I wanted you to have it as a token of our friendship,” O’Neill told McGregor on the latter’s MAC Energy YouTube channel.

McGregor was stunned and asked whether the glove had actually been used during the operation.

“These are the gloves that were used on the mission to take down Osama bin Laden?” McGregor asked.

“I wore that glove one time, and there might be DNA on it, as I haven’t washed it,” O’Neill replied.

The former SEAL also revealed that he had cut away part of the glove to make it lighter while holding his weapon, giving Conor McGregor another glimpse into just how intense the mission was.

So, it was no surprise that McGregor wrapped up his tribute by saying how proud he was to call O’Neill a friend and business partner.

“Proud to call [O’Neill] my friend and proud to have him as my business partner in @macenergy,” he wrote. “Excited for this journey together, brother. NEVER FORGET.”

It’s also worth noting that Conor McGregor’s tribute comes after he made a major charitable contribution to 9/11 responder families through his former whiskey brand, Proper No. Twelve.

Conor McGregor previously donated $1 million to 9/11 responder families

Back in 2020, McGregor and Proper No. Twelve pledged to donate $5 from every case sold to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, with the contributions capped at $1 million annually. The New York-based organization received its first $1 million check in March that year.

The money was meant to help pay off mortgages for families of first responders who died in the line of duty, including those who lost their lives during the September 11 attacks.

“First responders around the world are the true-life heroes,” the Irishman said at the time, calling the chance to make such a significant donation a “dream.”

Tunnel to Towers Foundation Chairman and CEO Frank Siller said the organization had not even solicited Conor McGregor’s support, praising the fighter and his brand for reaching out themselves.

“We did not solicit their support; they approached us,” Siller said. “Conor’s commitment to first responder families can serve as a role model for others.”

The donation is another part of McGregor’s connection to the legacy of 9/11. While his latest message centered on his friendship with Rob O’Neill and the sacrifices military personnel carry long after their service, it also returned to the heart of the anniversary: remembering those who were lost and the people whose lives were changed forever.

Twenty-five years later, McGregor’s tribute was a reminder that the impact of September 11 goes far beyond the attacks themselves. It lives on in the families who lost loved ones, the first responders who ran toward danger, and the service members who carried the weight of those events long after the rest of the world moved forward.