Conor McGregor is expected to marry his long-time partner, Dee Devlin, in a historic Vatican church today, according to the Irish Independent.
The news outlet said the wedding between the mixed martial arts fighter, 37, and Ms Devlin, 38, with whom he has four children, is set to take place at the Chiesa di Santo Stefano degli Abissini, a small church located just behind St Peter’s Basilica on the route to the Vatican Gardens.
Earlier this week, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told the Irish Independent that he was not aware of any wedding arrangements involving McGregor.
However, according to the publication, sources inside the Vatican said the church had been booked for the ceremony.
A source close to McGregor confirmed to the Daily Mail that the wedding will take place today and said ‘the Irish reports are accurate’.
The couple first met in 2008 and announced their engagement in August 2020, shortly before her 33rd birthday.
Previously, insiders said their preferred venue, the Sistine Chapel, was not an option as Vatican rules prohibit weddings there.
Ms Devlin has remained publicly supportive of McGregor following last year’s High Court civil case in Dublin, in which a jury found that he had sexually assaulted Nikita Hand at a hotel in 2018.
McGregor denied the allegation and claimed the encounter was consensual, but the court rejected his account.
In July, Ireland’s Supreme Court dismissed McGregor’s appeal, finding he had received a fair trial.
His lawyers had argued that his answers to the police during questioning should not have been put before the jury.
He was ordered to pay Ms Hand €248,000 (£218,000) in damages, along with high legal costs.
The civil action was taken after Irish prosecutors decided in 2019 not to bring criminal charges against McGregor following a Garda investigation.
Ms Hand later pursued the case through the civil courts, with proceedings beginning in 2021.
After last year’s civil case, Ms Devlin wrote: ‘Conor and I dealt with these issues privately many years ago, as should be done in a relationship, and we have come out stronger than ever.
‘We have four beautiful children now whose smiling faces and happy hearts are a testament to who he is and who we are!’
Last year, McGregor announced his intention to run for the presidency in Ireland.
However, he failed to secure enough support to appear on the ballot. He ended his bid in September.
At the time, he said the decision was made following ‘careful reflection, and after consulting with my family’.
Speaking about the wedding, a source close to McGregor previously said: ‘Conor and Dee want to get married before Christmas and are planning a wedding at the Vatican in Rome.
‘They are both staunch Catholics and it is their dream to wed there.
‘They ideally would like to marry in the Sistine Chapel but it is not allowed so they may have to settle for the Cappella del Caro which can accommodate 100 people beside St Peter’s Basilica.
‘It is all hush hush at the moment but December 12 is the date mentioned so we will have to wait and see.’
McGregor has credited Ms Devlin for keeping him grounded. He previously said: ‘Dee is a lifesaver for me. I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for her. I’m doing all of this for her.’
He added: ‘Every day, since I started out in this game, she’s supported me. She’d drive me to the gym, and she’d listen to all my dreams.’
This is a breaking news story with more to follow
