Yesterday afternoon, Conor McGregor sent an impassioned message to Ireland’s leaders, demanding a complete lockdown of the country to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I know a good, tough fight when I see one, and we have one on our hands now,” McGregor stated in a video posted to Facebook. “I want to call upon my people: the great people of Ireland. This fight needs us all. We are all in the red corner together and awaiting the bell, so let’s gather together and ring the bell ourselves — including the people of the rest of the world.

“A true lockdown must begin, and it must begin now,” McGregor added. “A lockdown together. A lockdown united. We must close our airports. We must close all non-essential businesses. We must cut all non-essential travel.”

This message from McGregor quickly got a response from Irish Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe. Donohoe encouraged McGregor to use his platform to encourage social distancing.

McGregor responded with a lengthy message, assuring that he has been doing that and more, and announcing that he’s making an immediate donation of €1M ($1,080,960) in protective equipment for hospital staff.

Thank you sincerely for your message, Minister Paschal Donohoe.
Here is my reply. pic.twitter.com/0NcnVgrKaA

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 25, 2020

“Today I am purchasing myself €1 million worth of personal protective equipment to be deployed to all the fighting hospitals in the Leinster region,” McGregor announced to the Minister for Finance.

In the same message to Donohoe, McGregor pleaded for a push to close non-essential businesses such as construction build sites. He also asked for a complete shutdown of airports, but conceded that “stringent” screening measures could suffice if a total shut-down is deemed impossible. The gist of his message though, is that Ireland and the world need to do more to stop the coronavirus from spreading.

What do you think of this act from Conor McGregor?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 3/25/2020.