By Mark Ellis —
In a stunning revelation that sent shockwaves through the world of mixed martial arts and beyond, UFC superstar Conor McGregor has proclaimed that he was “saved” by a direct encounter with Jesus during an intense, 36-hour psychedelic treatment in Tijuana, Mexico.
The Irish fighter, long known for his bravado, shared a deeply personal testimony of near-death visions, divine intervention, and spiritual healing on social media this week, declaring, “To God, I am yours!!”
McGregor, 37, the former two-division UFC champion whose career has been marred by legal battles, injuries, and personal struggles, detailed his transformative experience in a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter) on November 23.
He described undergoing ibogaine therapy—a powerful psychoactive substance derived from the African Tabernanthe iboga plant—at the AMBIO clinic, guided by physicians from Stanford University. Ibogaine is being studied for its potential to treat trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and even traumatic brain injuries common among athletes, though it carries risks like heart complications and intense hallucinations.
“I was blessed to meet the most forward-thinking doctors from Stanford University and undergo a series of treatments to address trauma,” McGregor wrote. “I travelled to Tijuana Mexico and underwent Ibogaine treatment at AMBIO…It was incredible, intense, and absolutely eye opening.”
What followed, McGregor recounted, was an encounter with God. Under the drug’s influence, he claimed to have witnessed his own imminent death in vivid detail: “I was shown what would have been my death. How soon it was to be, and how it would have impacted my children. I was looking down on myself as it happened, and then I was looking out from the coffin.”
In that moment of profound despair, he said, God intervened.
“God then came to me in the Holy Trinity. He is MIGHTY! Jesus, his child. I was shown the light. Jesus descended from the white marble steps of heaven and anointed me with a crown,” McGregor continued, his words echoing the biblical imagery of coronation and redemption found in passages like Revelation 19:12, where Christ wears “many crowns.”
He also described visions of Mary and the archangels, culminating in a declaration of total surrender: “My brain, my heart and my soul was healed. I am saved. I am healed. To God, I am yours!! Thank you for bestowing upon me this incredible blessing that I take with great care and absolute seriousness! I live my life per your word and nothing more.”
For McGregor, whose life has been a mix of triumphs and trials—from his dramatic rise to UFC stardom in 2016, when he became the first simultaneous two-weight champion, to darker chapters involving a 2018 civil rape allegation (which he denies), a 2021 leg injury that sidelined him, and recent political ambitions in Ireland that dissolved amid controversy—this encounter marks a potential turning point.
Just weeks ago, on October 6, he announced a brief social media hiatus with the cryptic post: “Hey folks online, I’m out of here for a bit, see you again soon! My love unwavering.” Now, returning with this testimony, he signed off his message as “Your Great Grandson, Conor McGregor.”
Some Christian leaders and observers are affirming McGregor’s story as a modern-day prodigal son narrative, reminiscent of the Apostle Paul’s dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).
“In the raw arena of a fighter’s soul, where trauma from blows both physical and spiritual runs deep, God can break through in unexpected ways,” said one evangelical pastor who requested anonymity. “Whether through the lens of ibogaine or not, McGregor’s cry of ‘I am yours’ to God is the language of true repentance and grace. This could be the fight of his life—not in the octagon, but for his eternal legacy.”
McGregor, a father of four with longtime partner Dee Devlin, has long woven threads of faith into his public persona, occasionally quoting Scripture or invoking God’s name in victory speeches. But this is the most explicit profession of Christ to date, coming at a time when he suggested a 2026 UFC return—possibly against Michael Chandler at a historic White House event announced by President Donald Trump.
Many are left wondering: Will the “Notorious” one step back into the cage transformed by his encounter with Jesus – albeit under the influence of a psychoactive substance, which mirrors the experience of some of the hippies of the Sixties who experimented with LSD.
