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Belfast Live

Sport

Staff Reporter

Conor McGregor's 2022: Parties, court battles, online spats and no UFC fights

Conor McGregor UFC Artem Lobov Dee Devlin Dublin Leo Varadkar Paul McGrath Erin Ian Garry Islam Makhachev

Conor McGregor's year began with him plotting his UFC return, which never came to fruition, and ended with him challenging Paul McGrath to a boxing fight.

Although not stepping inside the octagon once in 2022, McGregor faced numerous legal battles away from it.

The Dubliner appeared in court a number of times over the past 12 months in relation to dangerous driving charges, but also had good news from the courts just before Christmas after winning a legal battle with his former MMA pal Artem Lobov.

It was another year of flashing the cash for McGregor as he enjoyed showing off in luxury cars, buying lavish gifts for family and friends and making a number of donations.

There were also a number of social media rows and claims of him being interested in buying football clubs he couldn't afford.

Here's a look back on the MMA star's 2022:

January 12: His Black Forge Inn pub is attacked with petrol bombs, but no damage is done.
January 29: Pictured in his pub with Niamh Mulreany of the Dubai Two.
February 8: Photographed with Justin Bieber in the Bahamas after randomly bumping into him.

February 9: Claims he is a billionaire despite estimates putting his net worth at around €200million.
February 13: Becomes involved in a social media row with Tyson Fury, who responds by calling McGregor a "bully" who 'hit an old man'.
February 25: Gets in cage during a Bellator MMA event at the 3Arena after his teammate Lee Hammond defeated Jamie Hay.

Conor McGregor celebrates Lee Hammond winning (Image: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane)

March 3: Says he wants to buy Chelsea Football club as it is put up for sale by Roman Abramovich. It quickly becomes clear that McGregor couldn't afford to buy the club, which is eventually bought by a group led by American businessman Todd Boehly in a deal worth almost €5billion.
March 21: The High Court in Dublin rules that gardai must hand over evidence to a Dublin woman suing McGregor for personal injuries arising out of an alleged incident that occurred in December 2018.
March 22: Arrested for alleged dangerous driving in Dublin after his Bentley worth €170,000 came to the attention of gardai.
March 29: Attends X Factor winner James Arthur's gig at the Olympia Theatre, with the singer visiting the fighter's pub while in Dublin.
April 7: Appears in court in Blanchardstown charged with six traffic offences. He was remanded on bail until a later court date.

Conor McGregor arriving at Blanchardstown Court (Image: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)

April 13: Has first training spar since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
April 24: Offers a €50,000 cash reward for information to help identify the person behind a petrol bomb attack on his Dublin pub earlier in the year. He later deletes the post.
May 1: Picks up €3.5million Lamborghini yacht in Monaco with his family.
May 8: Calls fellow UFC fighter Justin Gaethje a 'grade A jackass' and a 'bird brain' following the American's loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 274.
May 12: Drops out of Forbes' list of the top 10 highest-paid athletes in the past year after being number one 12 months earlier.
May 18: Attends the Chopard "Gentleman's Evening" at the Cannes Film Festival with his fiancee.
May 19: Claims Chad Mendes was the only fighter to "put a scratch" on him during his career, despite losing six fights.
May 25: Parties with Kylie Minogue at the Cannes Film Festival. The pop legend later claims McGregor asked her for a picture.

Dee Devlin, Kylie Minogue and Conor McGregor (Image: Instagram/ Conor McGregor)

May 27: Arrives back in Monaco on luxury yacht to attend F1 Grand Prix.
May 28: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky expresses his disappointment at McGregor for posing for a photo with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in 2018.
May 29: His father Tony bizarrely hits back at Zelensky over the comments by mimicking the words from the infamous Academy Awards encounter between Will Smith and Chris Rock earlier in the year. He said: "Keep my son's name out yo f***ing mouth."
June 5: McGregor jets back to Ireland to attend his sister Erin's 41st birthday party at his pub and gifts her a Rolex watch worth more than €50,000.
June 9: News emerges that McGregor has bought another pub in Dublin, The Waterside in Howth.
June 15: Donates €10,000 to Wexford twins competing in the 2022 IMMAF Youth World Championships.
June 16: Rap legend Coolio stuns punters with a live performance at the Black Forge Inn just months before his death.
June 23: Arrives to a Dublin court in a Rolls Royce as dangerous driving case pushed back over further potential charges.
July 6: Heaps praise on fellow Irish UFC fighter Ian Garry after his win over Gabe Green, describing him as "incredibly impressive".

Ian Garry with Conor McGregor earlier in the star's career (Image: YouTube/UFC)

July 15: Throws a birthday party for himself as flies his family to Ibiza to celebrate at Wayne Lineker's 'O Beach' on the island.
July 31: Voice records himself saying he will smoke 'a big blunt' while analysing fights following a UFC event.
August 3: McGregor's acting debut is confirmed alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in the remake of 1980's classic Road house, which he films in the Dominican Republic.
August 6: Dee Devlin gets McGregor's name tattooed on her body to mark her 35th birthday as he gifts her a luxury Cartier watch.
August 10: Accuses UFC rival Islam Makhachev's parents of being "cousins" in a social media post.
August 15: Treats niece Taylor to €6,500 worth of Chanel gifts for her 22nd birthday.
August 16: Visits waterpark in Majorca with his sister Erin and partner Dee, along with their children.
August 19: McGregor is outbid for Dublin pub JW Sweetman as a Longford family offer €5.5million for it.
August 21: Mocks UFC rival Kamaru Usman on social media after the Nigerian is hospitalised after being knocked out by Leon Edwards.
August 22: Celebrates the Black Forge Inn picking up a number of gongs at the Bar Of The Year Awards in Dublin.

Conor McGregor with staff from the Black Forge Inn at the Bar Of The Year Awards (Image: Instagram/ Conor McGregor)

August 28: Appears to share a video of himself receiving oral sex on his yacht before deleting the video. He commented on the clip: "If you’re getting it, get it top floor of the triple deck."
September 1: Shares a number of photos as his eldest child, Conor Jr, celebrates his first day at school.
September 1: Threatens to kick 3' 4" internet sensation Hasbulla "over a goal post" and calls him a "smelly inbred".
September 8: Charged with a further offence of alleged careless driving at Blanchardstown District Court.
September 23: Is forced to cancel a trip home to Dublin for a Bellator MMA event after his film set was hit by Hurricane Fiona.
September 27: McGregor's drug testing is queried as it emerges he hasn't been tested in 2022.
October 14: Weighs in on the video of Ireland's women's team singing Celtic Symphony by using his famous phrase: "I'd like to take this chance to apologise to absolutely nobody!"
October 22: Dana White reveals McGregor will need to return to the UFC's drug testing pool for six months before being able to fight again.

(Image: Getty Images)

November 1: His mother Margaret comes under fire as people believe she is wearing 'blackface' at a Halloween party. A spokesperson for McGregor later says Margaret "had spiders painted on her face".
November 8: Claims he 'would love' to purchase Liverpool as rumours emerge that the club is to be put up for sale.
November 20: Attends the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Dee, with the couple pictured visiting a McDonalds following the race.
November 23: News that the UFC star's friend Artem Lobov, who claims he came up with the idea for McGregor's Proper 12 whiskey brand, is suing him emerges.

Artem Lobov and Conor McGregor

November 24: McGregor's legal team make a "proposal" to gardai in his dangerous driving case, which is put back to January 11.
December 2: Settles a lawsuit that was filed over four years ago following an incident in which the Dubliner threw a dolly through the window of a bus transporting UFC fighters in New York.
December 6: Says "weed's great" as he enjoys trip to Amsterdam.
December 10: Described as British by American TV presenter Laura Sanko, which leads to row with comedian PJ Gallagher, who says "they can have this lad", and Irish football legend Paul McGrath.
December 17: Slams incoming Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, saying: "My input is I have no issue with Michael [sic] Martin. I feel he is as likeable as it comes in the space. Varadkar, different. He should not be stepping in to lead our country. What a strange time. Watching."
December 20: Challenges Paul McGrath and PJ Gallagher to a 2vs1 boxing fight after becoming involved in social media spat with the pair during which he brought up the comedian's mental health battle. McGregor later backs down after heavy criticism.
December 23: Wins court battle with ex-friend Artem Lobov over controversial "rat" tweets that a judge ruled were no more than vulgar abuse - and not "clearly defamatory".
December 24: Jets into Dublin on board a private plane with his family for Christmas.

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