Once the pride of Ireland and a global UFC sensation, “The Notorious” Conor McGregor got a harsh reality check at a Limp Bizkit concert in Dublin’s 3Arena. Instead of cheers, the mention of McGregor’s name was met with loud boos from the crowd, signaling a dramatic fall from grace for the former UFC champion.
Conor McGregor announced his attendance at the concert on Instagram, seemingly expecting a warm reception. However, when Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst acknowledged him on stage, the crowd erupted—not in applause, but in resounding jeers.
The incident, captured on video, quickly went viral on social media, sparking widespread discussion about McGregor’s waning popularity in his home country. One concertgoer tweeted:
Limp Bizkit was without a doubt the wildest, most fun crowd I’ve been amongst in literally years. Hearing the entirety of the 3Arena booing the mention of Conor McGregor, not once but twice, was just the icing on the cake.
McGregor’s meteoric rise in the UFC made him a household name and a symbol of Irish pride. From his humble beginnings in Crumlin to becoming a two-division UFC champion, McGregor’s brash personality and fighting prowess earned him a loyal fanbase.
But in recent years, his reputation has been overshadowed by a string of controversies and legal troubles. The most damning of these was a civil court ruling in November 2024, which found McGregor liable for sexually assaulting Nikita Hand in 2018.
One Twitter user summed up the sentiment: “I meet a ton of Irish people in Vegas. Can’t recall a single one who was a Conor McGregor fan. They absolutely loathe him over there, feel he gives them a bad reputation as he plays into the drunk/crazy/criminal Irish stereotypes.”
The fallout from McGregor’s controversies has been visible across Ireland. A well-known Galway gym erased a mural of McGregor that had stood since 2017, and his former whiskey brand, Proper Twelve, announced it would no longer use his image in its marketing campaigns.
