Why Conor McGregor's wife Dee Devlin gave up WAG-style career as pals reveal she'll never turn back on scandal-hit star

The Sun

6 hours ago

IT'S a Tuesday afternoon, your fiancé is all over Katie Price in a club. He'll go out later and knock someone out on the dance floor - all while you are at home with the kids.
This might sound like most people's idea of a relationship from hell, but this is the reality for Dee Devlin, the woman who stands by Conor McGregor - who insiders insist won't ever leave him...no matter how tough things get.
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Mum-of-four Dee, 37, an aspiring businesswoman, has made the ultimate sacrifice - waving goodbye to a sparkling Coleen Rooney-style career - to be the wife and mother of Conor's dreams.
Known for standing by her man through thick and thin, Dee has been dubbed the 'brains behind his brand'.
An insider told The Sun: 'Dee is incredibly loyal and Conor knows that.
"She is often there with him behind the scenes, but just not in the limelight. He has also made it very clear he is bankrolling her now, which plays a huge part in the dynamic of their relationship - and makes it almost impossible for her to leave.'
They added: "She quietly accepts his behaviour and because she's been there from the beginning, she's always willing to move on.
"She'll stick with him, even if he pushes her loyalty in return."
In the early days, she was tipped to be the next Coleen - able to command generous sponsorship and high-profile endorsements as the most high-profile WAG of the global mixed martial arts fighting world.
But a string of scandals involving Conor, who uses the stage name The Notorious - has scuppered her wholesome and highly lucrative girl-next-door image.
A source explained: 'Dee was set to become a huge personality in her own right – with earning clout to rival the likes of famous WAGs Victoria Beckham or Coleen Rooney.
'Dee is popular with the public – you only have to look at her social media following to see that.
Shocking moment UFC thug Conor McGregor pummels club reveller with TWO brutal punches in packed Ibiza nightclub
'She has a wholesome girl-next-door image enhanced as a mum of four and there's huge interest in the fashion brands she is wearing and her lifestyle - but her chances of a clean- cut image that attracts the big money brands have been sullied completely by Conor's antics.
'Everyone loves a rag to riches story and Dee and Conor's had huge appeal - until it got sinister. Big brands want to distance themselves from any kind of scandal – especially those involving violence and sexual assault.'
While Conor has been hitting headlines for all the wrong reasons, Dee has been behind the scenes helping turn him into a global star.
Helping coordinate his finances, sponsorship deals, and travel arrangements, Dee has been instrumental in helping Conor navigate money spinning ventures outside the ring.
His fights broke pay-for-view records outside MMA when 5.3m fans paid to watch him fight 10 rounds with Floyd Mayweather in 2017. He also launched a brand of whiskey – Proper No.12 - rumoured to have sold for hundreds of millions, which again Dee played a part in.
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Big dreams shattered
Dee quit school when she was 16, but she was always ambitious.
She attempted a number of business ventures including a line of luxury handbags and watches - but Conor was keen to get her on the books and she became his 'manager' as soon as his fighting career started taking off.
Just like Wayne and Coleen - Dee and Conor were young sweethearts.
A former model and waitress, Dee grew up in a town nearby to Conor and the pair had mutual pals before a chance meeting in a Dublin nightclub where she was working in 2008. She was just 21.
At the time, Conor had just quit his plumbing apprenticeship and was at the cusp of his MMA fighting dream.
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Neither had any idea what was in store for them - neither the glory nor the court appearances.
These days, there is no doubt Dee lives a life to envy.
Her wardrobe features Prada, Dior, and Luis Vuitton dresses, while on a visit to a Chanel boutique, £11,000 was spent on two designer handbags.
The McGregor family live in a £2.5million home in Kildare, a 40-minute drive from Dublin.
They take holidays in Marbella, where they have a £1.3million villa in the exclusive gated The Heights set on the La Resina country club estate.
Marriage plans in doubt
They got engaged five years ago when Conor popped the question on her 33rd birthday.
Questions have been raised as to whether the pair will in fact ever marry.
The fighter has spoken about vague marriage plans - insisting it'll happen in Ireland but admitting there is a lot to 'figure out,' and that it is 'a big process,' he added: 'Let's see what happens.'
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They have however, got their very own family, wedding or not. They share four children - Conor, eight, a daughter, Croia, six, and sons Rian, four, and Mack, 19 months.
In recent weeks, Dee has been in Spain with Conor, but she has been nowhere to be seen over the last couple of days – with sources saying she was clearly looking after the kids while he was out lapping up the lavish offerings Ibiza has to offer.
'Brands have distanced themselves'
Topless in a red hat and puffing on a giant cigar, Conor captioned an Instagram shot of him cosying up to Katie Price as '@katieprice Forever'
Footage later emerged from the night before showing him flooring a club reveller with TWO brutal punches in a packed Ibiza nightclub, Pacha.
Days later, the UFC star appeared to sport a bruised eye as he soaked up the sun with Dee aboard a luxury yacht.
Dee could be seen packing on the PDA with Conor after his midweek fracas.
She later appeared alongside him in a series of social media snaps, showing nothing could break them.
It's the latest in a string of controversies that have marred Conor - pounding his public image, career and reputation – and Dee's too.
Last November, Conor was ordered to pay out £206,000 in damages to hairdresser Nikita Hand - after a jury found in a civil case that he had brutally sexually assaulted her - brands began to distance themselves.
Following the case, Dee broke her silence, showing her devotion to her man, in a post she said: 'Conor and I dealt with these issues privately many years ago, as should be done in a relationship, and we have come out stronger than ever.
'We have four beautiful children now whose smiling faces and happy hearts are a testament to who he is and who we are!'
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'He turned violent quickly'
Another woman, Samantha Murphy, claimed she had to jump off the side of a luxury yacht to escape after an alleged attack by Conor in 2022, breaking her arm in the fall. She alleges she was assaulted during celebrations in Ibiza for the fighter's 34th birthday, claiming he turned violent quickly becoming 'possessed.'
She launched a civil case but discontinued it in January 2023.
At the time, a statement from McGregor said he was "steadfast in his denial of all the accusations made by a guest on his boat".
He is also preparing to go back to court to appeal against the conviction in the Nikita Hand case which has already cost him more than 1.5m Euros.
But Dee has always stood by him, and Conor has always credited her as a key to his success, supporting him even as an unemployed aspiring fighter.
He said: 'I love to spoil her. She does not work anymore, I hired her to the business. She works for me now and collects the cheques.
'Dee worked very hard throughout the years and stuck by me when I had absolutely nothing. I only had a dream that I was telling her.
'For me to be able to take her out of work, give her everything she's ever wanted and to travel the world with her fills me with pride. It keeps me going. We've been together a long time. She's been through it all with me.'
He added: 'Every day, since I started out in this game, she's supported me. She'd drive me to the gym, and she'd listen to all my dreams.
'Dee is a lifesaver for me. I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for her. I'm doing all of this for her.'
Just a few months ago Dee took to Instagram to defend her relationship yet again saying: 'My man and I have created a beautiful life together. No one is entitled to comment on our relationship- we trust one another and love one another.'
Inside McGregor's Notorious lifestyle
With more sides to his personality than an Octagon, Conor McGregor's rise has been an enthralling watch.
Going from UFC icon to entrepreneur and Hollywood star, the Irishman has transcended the sport he helped bring to the masses.
He has four children with fiancee Dee Devlin and the family enjoy a lavish lifestyle.
McGregor has not fought in UFC since breaking his leg in a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in 2021.
That has not stopped him amassing a net worth of over £150m thanks to his Proper No Twelve whiskey and fashion line.
And he is due to return to the Octagon at UFC 303 in an eagerly-awaited headline clash with Michael Chandler.
McGregor also starred alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in the Amazon Prime remake of classic movie Road House, although he is dreading his mum seeing one X-rated scene.
Notorious turned up to the premiere in a £60,000 suit that was outdone by his £460k watch.
The only thing sharper than his fashion sense is his tongue and the Dubliner has several bitter spats under his belt, including with UFC legend KhabibNurmagomedov.
That row led to one of his biggest controversies in 2018 as he travelled 3,000 miles to confront Khabib in a vicious attack on his bus.
He pleaded guilty to assault after punching a man in a pub in 2018 and had his £150k Bentley seized by police for driving offences four years later.
Joe Rogan lashed out at McGregor in a four-letter outburst and the Irishman has also fired shots at Jake Paul, KSI and Tommy Fury.
Boxing great Floyd Mayweather also has McGregor on his enemy list after the pair clashed in a cross-sport bout in 2017.