Remember when Khabib Nurmagomedov stirred the pot by saying, “Brother, Ireland don’t have fighters, brother. Let’s be honest. How many fighters do you know from Ireland?” The undefeated former UFC lightweight champ dropped that jab while hyping up Usman Nurmagomedov’s clash with Paul Hughes earlier this year. The remark didn’t just ruffle feathers; it lit a fire in the Irish MMA scene. Even Conor McGregor couldn’t stay silent, stepping up to defend his nation’s fighting pride. Now, just months later, ‘The Notorious’ is beaming with pride over Ireland’s rising force in MMA.

Recently, at the IMMAF World Championship, one of Ireland’s top young talents, Cameron Geraghty, who represents the SBG gym, made it to the finals against Ceejay Fenton. Despite his best efforts, however, Geraghty conceded defeat when Fenton threw a submission Achilles lock, which injured him pretty badly.

Just when he thought he had lost the battle, the young lad was celebrated like a champion back at his hotel, where a group of Irish supporters congratulated him for representing their country and proudly bringing home a silver medal. His coach, Owen Roddy, shared the heartwarming moment on his Instagram timeline with a caption that read, “This right here shows what it means to represent Ireland. The support, the pride, the community. It’s about more than medals — it’s about heart, sacrifice, and doing something bigger than yourself.”

He further added, “Irish MMA is full of young athletes like Cameron, pouring their soul into this sport and flying the flag high on the world stage. It would be great if @sportireland got behind our sport. These kids deserve proper backing, just like every other sport.” Making his country proud despite the defeat, Geraghty witnessed a grand welcome from his countrymen. It was such a heartwarming moment that Conor McGregor couldn’t resist but share the entire video on his Instagram story.

Ireland, despite having a population of just 5 million, is one of the best hubs for MMA in the world. Names like Paul Hughes, Ian Garry, and Conor McGregor have already left their mark on the sport, and now it’s time for the younger generation to take the lead. Interestingly, the anticipation for McGregor’s comeback just grew 10-fold. Why? Let’s find out.

Dana White and Conor McGregor are cooking something in the background

Earlier this month, Donald Trump announced that he is planning to host a UFC event next year at the White House grounds to celebrate the America 250 celebration. Just weeks after the revelation, the UFC CEO, Dana White, confirmed that the promotion is planning to host an event there, and the logistics were already underway with Ivanka Trump and his team. This single statement ignited comeback plans in the heart of Conor McGregor.

Taking to his social media handle, Conor McGregor claimed that he will be making his comeback at the White House card. The former dual-weight champion shared an AI-generated image of himself and Michael Chandler standing on the White House grounds, with Donald Trump and Dana White visible in the background. He even claimed that he is back in the testing pool.

If that wasn’t enough, Dana White recently shared a video on his Instagram handle thanking McGregor for sending him premium cigars. White captioned the story, “Thank you @thenotoriousMMA. See you in Italy.” This simple statement speaks volumes, as White is set to meet McGregor after years, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Will the UFC CEO finally sign him for a fight? There are a number of possibilities, but a comeback cannot be ruled out.