Conor McGregor claims Azelia Banks 'nudes' allegations are smokescreen for bigger issue, as UFC star hits back amid Dee Devlin cheating scandal
The former UFC champion has been at the centre of a public storm following the release of alleged nude photos of himself by rapper Azealia Banks, which she claimed the 37-year-old sent to her unprompted.
Banks, who is known for getting into high-profile feuds on social media, posted two shocking photos seemingly of McGregor posing in the mirror while completely naked, which she alleges he sent to her via direct message on X despite not following him.
As well as the alleged nude selfies, the screenshots also show a message from what appears to be McGregor's account reading: 'Don't be a rat cos all rats get caught'. Alongside one image which seemingly shows his manhood strapped to a dumbbell, the Irish fighter apparently wrote: 'Lifting weights'.
Banks' accusations came after McGregor was caught packing on the PDA with a mystery bikini-clad woman on a Florida beach over the weekend.
But according to McGregor, who directly addressed the images on Wednesday, the frenzied social media reaction to his genitalia and broader discussions over his conduct aimed to distract from the issues affecting his native Ireland.
'Don't let them distract you with my G C while they rob our country blind,' McGregor wrote in X, replying to a post that called out the media for focusing on the former fighter's 'sizeable package' rather than 'the facts he is spraying'.
Earlier on Monday, Banks accompanied the photos she posted with the message: 'How you gonna send a b**** a some crooked d*** pics then threaten her not to tell,' she wrote alongside the screenshots. '@TheNotoriousMMA n**** do you know who the f*** I am? This is HARAM'.
Banks then continued: 'Like how are you really going to sexually harrass me with the potato farmer d*** then threaten me not to tell???? Honey…… ain't u trying to be the president of Ireland what is it giving fam? Use some f***ing sunscreen damn'.
McGregor's response comes amid his unlikely bid to become the next president of Ireland. The former fighter announced his intentions in March but later admitted in an interview with conservative American commentator Tucker Carlson that his plan to run for office is unlikely to get off the ground.
During the sit-down, McGregor said there are 'stipulations' for running for presidential office, such as needing to be backed by four county councils or receiving 20 nominations from members of the Oireachtas, Ireland's parliament.
And he warned that that Irish politicians will 'tarnish' his bid.
McGregor has received endorsements from misogynist influencer Andrew Tate and tech billionaire Elon Musk, and his anti-immigration stance has seen him welcomed with open arms by the US MAGA movement.
The 37-year-old is currently appealing the result of a civil case after a jury in Dublin found he had raped a woman, Nikita Hand, in 2018 and ordered him to pay damages.
In the midst of this legal controversy, he was invited to the White House by Trump for St Patrick's Day - a move that was met with condemnation from Irish politicians and many members of the public. Just days later, he announced his wish to be president.
This week, McGregor was captured smooching a mystery brunette in full view of fellow beachgoers in Fort Lauderdale over the weekend.
McGregor was spotted enjoying a cold beverage while the woman, who was dressed in a racy leopard print bikini, shared his sun lounger.
The pair chatted away in the shade as the sportsman cozied up to her by wrapping his arm around her back.
McGregor has been engaged to long-time partner Dee Devlin since August 2020, with the MMA star proposing while he celebrated his 32nd birthday in the south of France.
They have been together since 2008 and have four children in Conor Jr, 8, Croia Mairead, 6, Rian, 4, and Mack, 1.
Speaking to MMA Fighting in 2015, he said: 'I love to spoil her [Devlin]. She does not work anymore. I hired her for 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 essentially 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.'
In addition to appealing the verdict of the civil case which concluded he had raped a woman, McGregor is also facing a civil lawsuit for sexual battery in Florida following an alleged incident at a 2023 NBA Finals game in Miami, with a 49-year-old Miami-Dade County resident accusing him of sexually assaulting her in a bathroom.
He denied the allegations back in 2023, with his attorney Barbara Llanes insisting her client would 'not be intimidated', and he has faced no criminal charges for that either.
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