Conor McGregor Sends Personal Message to UFC Paris Star as She Settles GOAT Debate

Paris is ready for another night of UFC action, and this time the card opens with a familiar Irish face. Shauna Bannon, the strawweight star with a record of 7-1, returns to the Octagon against Sam Hughes. It’s her fourth UFC appearance, and she’s determined to keep her momentum rolling.

But before fight night arrived, Bannon received a surprise boost from Ireland’s biggest MMA export. Conor McGregor himself took to social media to cheer her on, reminding fans that the Emerald Isle is never far from the spotlight in combat sports!

McGregor first shared a clip of Bannon from the ceremonial weigh-ins on his Instagram story, adding the words, “Let’s go Shauna!” with the Irish flag emoji. Hours later, he doubled down by posting over an interview segment with Bannon, writing, “Ireland’s own! Up tomorrow night, let’s go Mama B!”  and the personal endorsement from ‘The Notorious’ instantly amplified her presence ahead of UFC Paris.

And Bannon didn’t shy away from showing where her own loyalties lie. In a rapid-fire Q&A titled The Best with TNT Sports, the same clip that was shared by McGregor, she picked her favorites. Asked who the greatest UFC fighter of all time was, her answer was simple, “Conor.”

For the best knockout in UFC history? Again, Conor McGregor, specifically his iconic 13-second finish of Jose Aldo at UFC 194, where he won and unified the UFC featherweight championship. Her other picks revealed just as much about her taste.

She named Valentina Shevchenko as the best female fighter right now and pointed to Weili Zhang as a must-watch. When asked about her dream city to fight in, she didn’t hesitate with, “Dublin, I wish.” For trash talk, she surprisingly picked Julianna Pena!

It’s not hard to see why McGregor’s support means so much. Like him, Shauna Bannon thrives on being unapologetically Irish. After suffering the first loss of her professional journey on her UFC debut, she’s bounced back with two straight wins, the most recent one capped with a performance bonus finish against Puja Tomar.

Reflecting on her growth, she recently stated to Bloody Elbow, “You’re in there, under the bright lights, and you get dropped like that and then you can come back and get a finish a couple of seconds later, I think that gives you a lot of confidence then going forward. I feel like, it’s my fourth fight in the UFC now. It’ll be my ninth professional fight so I just feel like I’m really starting to feel at home there.”

And now, with Conor McGregor’s public backing, there’s extra fire behind her charge. But what about the former ‘champ-champ’? Is there any hope on the horizon for his return to the Octagon? Well, it looks like the White House card might just be it!

Conor McGregor announces his “return” as new details emerge about the historic White House UFC event

The idea of a UFC fight at the White House started as one of President Donald Trump’s bold promises, but it has quickly transformed into reality. After weeks of speculation, new reports confirm the event will take place in June 2026, a month earlier than originally planned for July 4. The spectacle is shaping up to be unlike anything the fight game has ever seen, complete with reports of ceremonial weigh-ins on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, fireworks, and even warmups staged inside the White House itself.

Naturally, the card has drawn interest from some of the sport’s biggest names. As such, Conor McGregor wasted no time in embracing the moment. Reacting to the new details that emerged, he erupted on social media with a simple but thunderous declaration on X, with, “MCGREGOR’S RETURN!”

For a man who has been out of the Octagon for four years, the announcement carried all the electricity of a comeback tour. Earlier this year, McGregor met President Trump in the Oval Office, a handshake that hinted at a deeper collaboration. Since then, he has been spotted in the gym, sharpening his tools and teasing a return to active competition on social media.

And so, while Shauna Bannon looks to extend her streak in the Octagon, McGregor’s eyes are fixed on a stage unlike any other, the White House card in 2026. One fighter is building her future, the other plotting a return, but together they are making sure that Irish MMA is still in the conversation!