UFC legend Conor McGregor is officially back in action.
Spectators at the Crumlin Boxing Club in Dublin, Ireland, were left stunned on Friday night as McGregor made a shock appearance for their Good Friday show.
Despite the Irishman posting training clips in recent weeks, there had been no mention online that McGregor would be stepping into the ring for a public bout.
However, on Friday evening, that’s exactly what transpired as the MMA star returned to action for the first time since breaking his leg at UFC 264 in July 2021.
On the night, McGregor took part in a three-round exhibition bout against amateur boxer Barry Nolan, where he received a rapturous welcome from locals watching on.
Despite his five-year lay-off, McGregor showed little sign of ring rust as he unloaded on his amateur counterpart – even scoring two standing eight-counts during the bout.
Conor McGregor shocked spectators by making a shock return to the boxing ring on Friday
The Irishman put on a dominant display against amateur boxer Barry Nolan at the event
McGregor had not been seen in action since breaking his leg at UFC 264 in July 2021
The 37-year-old pulled no punches – literally – during the fight against Nolan, even landing a brutal, trademark uppercut which rattled the amateur fighter.
At the end of the fight, McGregor – wearing all-white protective gear – proudly paraded around the ring, thanking those in attendance who paid just $11.52 (€10) for the event.
While it was McGregor’s first combat sports fight since 2021, it was also his first foray back into the boxing scene since his fight against Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
As footage of the fight went viral, fans were left divided by McGregor’s outing.
Taking to X, one fan wrote: ‘How embarrassing bullying an amateur athlete.’
‘McGregor hunting for knockdowns in headgear during a “friendly” exhibition is classic. That competitive ego never sleeps. He’s looking way sharper than anyone expected for the comeback,’ another wrote on the social media platform.
‘He got hit way too many times… Offense looks sharp though,’ one fan wrote.
Similarly, another fan said: ‘Looking decent, still a shadow of his former self though’.
The 37-year-old was seen triumphantly waving his fist in the air once the final bell rang out
McGregor pulled no punches on the night and scored two standing eight-counts in the fight
McGregor is expected to make his long-awaited return to the UFC later this year, but was seemingly snubbed for a spot on the historic UFC White House card in June.
Reports have since suggested that the Irishman will feature on the UFC’s card on July 11, with McGregor himself seemingly confirming the news via an Instagram post. However, there has been no official confirmation yet from the UFC matchmakers.
Since his last professional fight in 2021, the 37-year-old has endured a turbulent time away from the cage. In 2024, McGregor was found liable and ordered to pay around £187,000 ($250,000) damages to Nikita Hand who accused him of raping her at a hotel in Dublin in 2018.
He denied the allegation and said he had ‘fully consensual sex’ with the plaintiff, also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin. He also denied causing bruising to the plaintiff.
McGregor subsequently launched an appeal on the basis of five grounds, one of which involved evidence that was withdrawn at a hearing in July.
The UFC star also tied the knot with his long-time partner Dee Devlin, 38, in a secret ceremony at the Chiesa di Santo Stefano degli Abissini, a small church located just behind St Peter’s Basilica on December 12 2025.
