Former UFC champion in two weight categories Conor McGregor has finally decided to take the step that has been expected of him for almost two decades. The 37-year-old Irishman marries Dee Devlin, the mother of his four children and the woman who took him from poverty and welfare to world titles and millions. Moreover, the wedding will take place not just anywhere, but in the Vatican itself.

Wedding at St. Peter’s Walls

It is reported that the wedding of McGregor and 38-year-old Devlin will take place on December 12 in the Church of Santo Stefano degli Abyssini. This is a small church located just behind St. Peter’s Basilica on the way to the Vatican Gardens.

Weddings in the Vatican are very rare. They require special coordination with local authorities and approvals at the highest level. According to the Irish Independent, there were also doubts within the Vatican, with senior officials expressing concerns about whether to grant the church to McGregor due to his reputation and recent legal proceedings.

Conor McGregor and Dee Devlin / Photo: © Jeff Bottari / Contributor / UFC / Gettyimages.ru

Nevertheless, the ceremony will take place in one of the most significant places for the Catholic world.

They have been together since 2008

Conor and Dee met in 2008 at a nightclub in Dublin. She was 20, he was 19. Both were from poor families, without any special prospects or big plans for life. Dee worked as a waitress, Conor worked as a plumber. At the same time, he trained and competed in small MMA tournaments for symbolic fees. When it became clear that McGregor needed to focus entirely on training to pursue a career in martial arts, it was Devlin who took charge.

She took two jobs at once to pay for housing 30 kilometers from Dublin, took Conor to training and actually supported the family. McGregor himself lived on unemployment benefits.

“She took me to the gym and listened to my dreams. “Dee is my savior,” Conor admitted more than once.

Conor McGregor and Dee Devlin / Photo: © Jeff Bottari / Contributor / UFC / Gettyimages.ru

McGregor made a marriage proposal only now, but the couple already has children. In 2017, son Conor Jack was born, in 2019 – daughter Croya, in 2021 – son Ryan, and in December 2023 – fourth child, Mac McGregor.

Despite the absence of an official marriage, their couple has long been considered one of the strongest in the MMA world.

Money, fame and endless betrayals

After the Cage Warriors titles, UFC debut and double championship, McGregor’s life changed radically. Money, yachts, houses, businesses, global superstar status. At the same time, Devlin remained in the shadows: she was busy with children, Conor’s entrepreneurial projects and his career.

But along with fame came sex scandals. Videos of McGregor sleeping on someone else’s bed, statements about illegitimate children, stories about dates with singers, photographs from nightclubs. In 2019, Conor ended up in police custody in Corsica after an episode in a club, and the same year he beat up an elderly man in a bar for refusing to drink his whiskey.

Rape trial, support for Devlin and birthday scandal

The most serious blow was the story of allegations of sexual assault. In 2018, McGregor was first accused, but then the case fell apart. Later, several more accusations emerged.

Despite all this, Dee Devlin did not turn her back on him and remained unwaveringly supportive throughout the trial, publicly declaring that she trusted her partner.

Conor McGregor / Photo: © Nick Potts – PA Images / Contributor / PA Images / Gettyimages.ru

Even after the trial, McGregor did not change his habits. In the summer, he celebrated his 37th birthday in such a way that he again found himself in the spotlight of the tabloids. Rapper Azealia Banks posted a correspondence where Conor sent her intimate photos of himself. Almost immediately after this, The Sun published photographs in which the fighter hugs and kisses an unknown brunette.

Less than six months have passed, and now the same McGregor is preparing for a wedding in the Vatican.

No fights, but with disqualification

Conor has not appeared in the Octagon since the summer of 2021. His last fight was a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. He lost in the first round due to a broken leg.

On December 12, in a small church near the walls of the Vatican, Conor McGregor will officially marry a woman who was with him back when no one knew about him. Perhaps it’s just a formality. And perhaps – the last attempt to put an end to the strangest love story in the world of MMA.