Is Conor McGregor and his company, Forged Irish Stout, in trouble? That’s been the concern since the prominent media outlet, Irish Independent, reported that ‘The Notorious’ beverage venture had an accumulated loss of around $15 million overall, with over $10 million just this year. And for any company in the world, losing such a substantial amount of money would mean trouble. Hence, as the reports began circulating, the UFC star stepped forward and addressed the issue directly.

The former two-division UFC champion has built the Forged Irish Stout brand from scratch. And just like his previous brand, Proper Twelve, McGregor also became the face of his stout business. However, his company’s loss certainly raises questions about his image as well, so the Irishman decided to give a straightforward reply with a cryptic undertone for a rival, too.

Conor McGregor fires back at $10M loss reports, potentially aiming at market rival

McGregor posted on X, “lol you bums aren’t thinking big enough. Again. I “LOST” NOTHING. I INVESTED!  Pay to play. 💰💰💰  Picture this. When it hits 🤤 💦  This is a $20bn dollar a year category with only one player in the game.  The whole category. ONE PLAYER.  And that player is..  1. A greedy grass  2. A rip off merchant  3. Poisoner of its custom (BOMBSHELL COMING)  Light work to the Mack!  Wait and see the money I pump in to it this year!  Cead é cúpla M dom ? #Nada 🌍 🚀  Hold my beer! #BOOKMARK  @ForgedStout “THE WORLDS CREAMIEST STOUT” Now available in OVER 20 COUNTRIES!  Stop thinking small team!  Let’s go Ireland! 

With this post, ‘The Notorious’ made it pretty clear that he doesn’t see any of this as a loss. He framed it as an investment and dropped his own valuation of the entire stout market, which he claims sits at around $20 billion. But the real eyebrow-raiser is who he referredto  as the “one player”. He labeled them as “greedy” and a “rip-off merchant”, which was most certainly a shot at his biggest competitor, Guinness.  

For anyone not deep into the alcohol world, Guinness is a renowned stout brand, boasting a worth of multi-billion dollars. A historically significant brand, Guinness has been brewing since the 18th century, and their roots go straight back to Ireland, the same country Conor McGregor comes from. So, since Guinness and Forged Irish Stout live in the same market, naturally, the UFC star competes with them. However, last year he even took a swipe at the brand on Facebook, calling out Arthur Guinness himself and labeling them greedy, just like he did in his latest post.

“I just dropped in the storehouse for a quick s—, I hope they don’t mind hahaha greedy robbing bas—s! Arthur Guinness was a rat for a foreign entity. Today his corporation hikes prices every second month out of pure greed. Ask any of your publicans where you drink. They all despise them. Forged Stout is the working man’s drink! Real Stout. Real Prices. See you all cageside, Arthur could never.” – McGregor wrote. 

Now, as the rivalry between McGregor and Guiness seems to be getting heated with this new jab. However, he has already taken it a step ahead to introduce his new product.  

‘The Notorious’ launches no-alcohol Forged Irish Stout 

Now, while most people around the world enjoy alcoholic beverages, there’s also a growing crowd that loves the taste but not the ramifications. Conor McGregor, being a real connoisseur of liquor and spirits, clearly understands that side of the market as well. Hence, he decided to tap into the market with the popularity of his stouts, which have now become a global brand.

To take that issue out of the way, McGregor launched a zero alcohol version of his Irish stout. He announced it on X, saying, “We have 0.0 edition now too, for all the non alcoholic enjoyers out here! @ForgedStout ❤️🌍”

That might actually be a strong move from McGregor if he truly wants to dominate the $20 billion industry and beyond. Reports from Market Research Future say the non alcoholic beer market sits around $21.35 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow to $43.72 billion by 2035. So, it won’t be a stretch to say that ‘The Notorious’ is aiming for some serious cash here.

That said, do you think Forged Irish Stout could really overthrow Guinness and become the number one stout brand in the world? Comment below.