Conor McGregor has faced backlash after getting the date of the 9/11 anniversary wrong while promoting his Mac Energy drink in the same social media post, which critics have called "shameless." The UFC fighter, 38, posted a tribute on the morning of September 10, a day before the 25th anniversary of the Twin Towers attacks, as America prepares to remember the 2,977 victims of the deadliest terrorist attack on US soil.
Post draws criticism for timing and promotion
"Anniversary of September 11, 2001, I will NEVER FORGET!" McGregor posted on social media. "I look forward to uniting with my Mac Energy comrades in support!" He concluded the post with a nod to former Navy SEAL Robert O'Neill, who alleges he killed Osama bin Laden during the May 2011 raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Fans were exasperated by what they saw as a lack of sensitivity, criticising him for getting the date wrong and for using the solemn anniversary to plug his energy drink. One person posted: "Nah f*** this kind of s***. It's got to stop. Most traumatic, world changing event in the 21st century and he wants to promote off the back of it. Lost any last bit of respect for this guy." Another said: "What a disgusting human being! Promoting his brand while talking about something so sensitive."
Previous 9/11 tributes and recent controversies
This is not the first time McGregor, who recently faced criticism for his reaction to Irish boxer Katie Taylor's final fight, has done something similar. The former champion, whose last fight lasted 69 seconds, previously paid his respects in 2024 at an American bar, where he spoke to a crowd about honouring those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Four years earlier, the MMA fighter received widespread acclaim from 9/11 responder organisations after donating $1 million to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation through his whiskey brand Proper No. Twelve.
McGregor shares a close bond with O'Neill, who presented him with the glove he claims to have worn during the Bin Laden mission 15 years prior. The pair met up in May at a gym to discuss McGregor's UFC comeback, and were previously seen together last November at McGregor's Black Forge Inn Pub in Dublin, following an interview McGregor conducted with O'Neill for his series titled '1 of 1'.
Legal background
Last July, McGregor lost an appeal against a High Court jury's finding that he sexually assaulted a woman in a Dublin hotel. In November 2024, McGregor was ordered to pay £206,000 in damages plus costs to Nikita Hand, who accused him of raping her in 2018.
