MOSCOW, October 24. /TASS/. Conor McGregor, a renowned Irish professional mixed martial arts fighter and boxer, said on Thursday that he gifted his first-ever produced bottle of whiskey to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but he still does not know whether the Russian leader tried it.

McGregor is currently paying a surprise visit to the Russian capital of Moscow, where he gave a news conference on Thursday afternoon. In September 2018, the fighter announced that he launched production of his own whiskey, which he named after the Crumlin neighborhood in Dublin 12.

"It is an honor and a privilege — so I am honored to come back here," McGregor told journalists.

"It’s so beautiful to be back here in Mother Russia," he said. "As you know, they say, ‘From Russia with Love,’ and I truly feel the love every time I step my foot in this country, and especially in this great city."

"It is my second time here in beautiful Moscow. I was here last time as a guest of President Vladimir Putin at the [2018 FIFA] World Cup final and I had a tremendous time. So, I am very excited to be here again," he continued.

The Irish MMA fighter revealed that "many people do not know, but… the very first bottle made, I gifted to [Russian] President Vladimir Putin at the World Cup final."

Last year Russia hosted its first-ever FIFA World Cup, which kicked off in Moscow with a remarkable opening show at Luzhniki Stadium on the evening of June 14 and ended with a spectacular final match, played also at the Luzhniki Stadium, where France defeated Croatia 4-2 to win the much-coveted World Cup Trophy. McGregor was in attendance watching the final match.

Asked whether the Russian president tried McGregor’s whiskey, the Irish fighter said: "I gifted the bottle to his security…, but I spoke with him [Putin] at the World Cup and he said he would try it. I haven’t got to speak with him since, to see what he thought of it."

On the night of October 6, 2018, reigning UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia defeated McGregor during the UFC 229 tournament in Las Vegas, defending his lightweight title with a choke in the 4th round of the fight.

However, straight after the fight in Las Vegas a mass brawl broke out between the teams of both fighters, including Nurmagomedov, who jumped out of the cage and attempted to beat up one of the Irish opponent’s team members for insulting him.

Both athletes were later slapped with various penalties over that incident. A court in the US state of Nevada imposed a nine-month suspension on Nurmagomedov and ordered a six-month suspension for McGregor.

On March 26, McGregor announced a decision to wrap up with his sports career. The statement was made on his Twitter account and nine days later the Irish fighter tweeted his intentions to get back into the octagon.

McGregor is one of the most popular UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) fighters boasting a record of 21 wins (18 by KO/TKO, one by submission and two by decisions) and four defeats. He clinched his first champion’s title of the UFC in 2015 and became later the first MMA fighter to simultaneously hold the champion’s belts in the UFC featherweight and lightweight divisions.