Conor McGregor has mastered the art of selling an image, but the balance sheet for one of his latest acquisitions tells a story of failure, not fortune. The former UFC two-division champ made some drastic business moves, such as establishing Forged Irish Stout and getting a stake in rival UFC promotion BKFC. While most of ‘The Notorious’ outside-the-Octagon ventures appear to be flourishing, that’s definitely not the case with all.
In 2023, the Irishman acquired The Porterhouse Hospitality, which operates a chain of restaurants and pubs in Ireland. Though the exact amount McGregor paid to purchase the company isn’t public, an Irish Independent report showed that the group projected €3m to €4m in growth. However, following McGregor’s acquisition in the same year, the company ended up showing fluctuations in growth, with reports noting that these fluctuations had begun even before the sale. In the end, the group’s total revenue fell from €28.63 million to €26.77 million, roughly a $2 million drop in 2025.
When it comes to its overall business, Conor McGregor’s acquired company seemingly earned €302,650 (about $330K) after paying roughly €208,594 (around $230K) in corporate tax. However, by the end of February last year, the establishment saw a significant drop in its cash reserves, falling from €3.49m to €2.49m, a loss of over $1 million in U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, the company’s director assured that while the business continues to perform well in food and drink sales, staff expenses have become increasingly difficult to manage.
“Overall, business has been good for us,” Elliot Hughes, director of Porterhouse Hospitality, said, as per Irish Independent. “We have seen growth within our bars across both drink and food, and that has continued over recent months as well. Our bestselling products have generally been Guinness, as well as our own beers, and Dingle gin and vodka, which have improved as our late-night business has grown.”
“The increasing costs of staffing, pension enrolment, sick pay, and minimum wage increases have put significant pressure on our business and others. Recently, the increased cost of energy has been challenging as well, while incremental price increases from suppliers are becoming more difficult to pass on,” he added.
As the Porterhouse Hospitality top brass pointed out, the rising cost of managing staff is a real challenge they are facing. According to a report by Metro, the United Kingdom has shown signs of slowing down after distribution, supply chain, and rising energy costs impacted 47% of firms.
Now, when it comes to expanding businesses, Conor McGregor has definitely seen some adversity with the company he acquired. However, The Notorious’s own pub venture, Forged Irish Stout, is witnessing a considerable growth in 2026, expanding into different countries.
Conor McGregor expanded the Forged Irish Stout to 26 different countries
Founded in 2020, ‘The Notorious’ initially targeted the Republic of Ireland and the UK market. However, after six years in the business, McGregor’s stout has expanded to 26 countries in 2026, a noteworthy milestone for the company, which is reportedly valued at over $600 million.
“Planning 
Executing 2026 – 26 countries live 
Very soon, more to follow @forgedirishstout @thenotoriousmma,” Conor McGregor wrote on Instagram while posting a photo.
As the former UFC champ successfully launched the stout in 26 countries, it has recently entered India, a fairly new market for the brand. That said, do you think McGregor will eventually recover the losses? Let us know in the comments below.
