Conor McGregor looks to have ended his last spell of sobriety, and the reason is almost as surprising as the announcement. The former two-division UFC champion revealed on social media that he has decided to drink again after learning that Hollywood icon Brad Pitt has recently reintroduced alcohol into his own life.

‘The Notorious,’ who had previously committed to sobriety in the lead-up to his Octagon return at UFC 329 against Max Holloway last month, announced his decision in his characteristically playful fashion.

“I have decided to have a few pints of The Worlds Creamiest Stout @ForgedStout in support of my fellow actor, Brad Pitt!” McGregor wrote on X. “Take it easy, Brad!.”

The Irishman later reposted a fan video of a pint of Forged Irish Stout being poured, adding, “This one’s for you, Mucker!”

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His latest comment came after Brad Pitt, who had apparently been sober for years, recently admitted that he had resumed moderate drinking. According to sources, Pitt was seen having a drink at Taylor Swift’s star-studded wedding to NFL star Travis Kelce and later joked in an interview that he was “back off the wagon.”

“I was sober for seven years,” Pitt told Esquire. “And then I got back off the wagon, in a more restrained manner. I got overconfident a couple times, went, ‘Yep, nope, not good for me. Not in big quantities.'”

Well, it looks like McGregor definitely took notice. And the timing is interesting, given how seriously Conor McGregor took his sobriety prior to his long-awaited UFC return.

Ahead of his comeback, ‘The Notorious’ admitted that success, money, and his Irish whiskey business had contributed to him losing focus during the peak of his MMA career.

“Obviously, obviously,” he said during a media appearance ahead of UFC 329. “You know, 2017, double-weight world champion, Floyd Mayweather banked. And then I launch an Irish whiskey. I didn’t drink heavily, if at all, in that time of my life. I was an athlete at the top of my game. Letting, you know, thousands upon thousands of bottles in my garage. Sell this, Conor. Okay, I’d leave my property with two bottles under my arm.

“And that was it. I was caught. You know, I was in the house with, I, okay, that’s it. God gave, gave me these lessons. That’s it. I was trapped and caught. And it is what it is. I trust in God. I trust in my journey. And I trust in the truth. And if the world is against the truth, then I am against the world. And that is where I stand.”

The former champion then returned to the Octagon for the first bout in five years, but his comeback ended in disaster. Conor McGregor injured his knee during the first round of his rematch with Max Holloway, causing damage to his ACL and meniscus before undergoing surgery.

‘The Notorious’ has since repeatedly insisted that he plans to make another comeback for the final fight of his UFC contract during International Fight Week 2027. Now, however, the decision to return to drinking adds another wrinkle to that comeback.

There is also another controversial chapter hanging over McGregor’s comeback. The New York Times earlier reported that the Irishman’s recovery from his 2021 leg injury included an attempt to secure an exemption for the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed McGregor’s surgery, stated that he did not administer hormone or steroid treatment, but he did support the application for a therapeutic-use exemption. Ultimately, the exemption was not granted.

For now, Conor McGregor’s primary focus is on getting fit enough to fight again. It remains to be seen whether returning to drinking influences that schedule, but with everything that has happened since his last bout, there will undoubtedly be plenty of eyes on the former champion’s road back.

In fact, the Irishman’s UFC comeback plans have also received a public show of support from Dana White.

Dana White sends ‘get well soon’ message to Conor McGregor

Dana White recently visited Ireland for Zuffa Boxing 10, which was held in Dublin, and he stopped by McGregor’s Black Forge Inn. The visit came shortly after ‘The Notorious’ underwent surgery to fix his MCL and ACL.

Conor McGregor has remained confident that the treatment was successful, citing fighters like Dominick Cruz and Georges St-Pierre as inspiration for his own return. The UFC CEO, meanwhile, used his visit to McGregor’s restaurant to send a clear message to the former champion.

“Told you, I’m here at the Black Forge Inn,” White told McGregor in a video on Instagram. “The service is incredible, the hospitality is incredible, the food is incredible, and thank you, brother. Heal up and get well soon.”

‘The Notorious’ has already stated that he wants to return in 2027, and his successful surgery was definitely the first significant step toward that goal. The bigger question now is whether the 38-year-old can get everything together physically and mentally despite his newfound interest in drinking for one last run inside the Octagon. Because for someone who has repeatedly promised that his latest comeback will be different, the next year could be the most important stretch of his career, and the one that finally cements his legacy after that ‘last dance.’