Former MMA fighter Conor McGregor has announced he is withdrawing from the race for the Irish presidency.

“Following careful reflection, and after consulting with my family, I am withdrawing my candidacy from this presidential race,” he wrote in a post on social media.

“This was not an easy decision, but it is the right one at this moment in time.”

McGregor announced his intention to join the race to become Ireland’s president in September last year.

He had been due to address meetings later on Monday of Dublin City Council and Kildare County Council in an attempt to get onto the ballot paper for October’s election.

He would have needed to be nominated either by 20 members of the Irish parliament or four local authorities.

McGregor said he had been “sincere and genuine” about his intentions to contest the election and had been “truly humbled” by the “support and encouragement” he received.

He went on to claim the election eligibility rules in Ireland’s “outdated constitution” were a “straitjacket” that prevented a “true democratic presidential election being contested”.

He claimed the constitution ensured the election was “fixed to ensure only Establishment approved candidates may be selected on the ballot”.

“This democratic deficit against the will of the Irish people has now been successfully magnified by my expression of interest,” he added.

“This is not the end, but the beginning of my political journey,” he wrote.

“I am driven by a commitment to improve lives, defend rights, and serve the Irish people with dedication and integrity. I will continue to serve my people on the global stage lobbying for Ireland’s best interest’s socially and economically – of that there is no doubt.

“This is a marathon. Not a sprint!”

Last year McGregor lost a civil case against a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her. He was ordered to pay nearly €250,000 (£215,000) in damages after a jury at Dublin’s High Court found he was civilly liable for assaulting Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in 2018.

In July three judges rejected his appeal against the decision.