Conor McGregor deletes Twitter rant over Ireland’s new Covid restrictions

The former UFC champion said he is ‘ashamed’ of the Irish government

Conor McGregor took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to hit out at the Irish government over its introduction of new Covid-related restrictions, before deleting his rant.

The former dual-weight UFC champion called for a full lockdown in March 2020 and spent €1.3million on PPE, personally delivering some of that equipment to hospitals.

And now McGregor, 33, has expressed his disappointment in leaders in his native Ireland over their introduction of new restrictions, which include a midnight curfew on pubs, nightclubs and restaurants.

“Frustrated with these new restrictions in Ireland,” McGregor wrote. “We’ve done our part and we’ve followed the rules.

“NPHET [National Public Health Emergency Team] told us last month we had the virus suppressed. And yet we move forwards only to move backwards again. All we ask for is clarity, and we have gotten none since the beginning.

“Ireland and [its] people, with its high vaccination rate, after enduring the longest lockdown in the free world, is not to blame for the undersupply of our healthcare system.

“Those in government are! Almost 3 years to bolster this for our people, and nothing. Ireland will rise!

“For [deputy prime minister] Leo [Varadkar] to come out today on foreign soil, and directly blame the non vaccinated, is the most divisive comment I’ve seen yet.

“It is neither the vaccinated, nor non vaccinated, nor any Irish citizen for that matter, that is responsible for this unpreparedness. It is government!

“There is just no backing from me here anymore. We will rise! Tonight’s address read like an advert to me. When Ireland stands. The world will know.

“We are almost 3 years into this. We have came together time and time again! Gone above and beyond what has been asked of us! Yet all we have gotten back is hypocritical address after hypocritical address! The audacity!

“I am ashamed of my nations government at this time.”

McGregor has fought twice in the UFC in 2020, losing to Dustin Poirier via second-round knockout in January before breaking his leg in a trilogy bout with the American in July.

The former featherweight and lightweight champion is expected to return to the Octagon in the first half of 2022, once he has fully recovered from his injury.