Conor McGregor Picks Serbian Hymn: Powered by the Holy Spirit
Ahead of his UFC 329 clash with Max Holloway, Conor McGregor set his training footage to a Serbian Orthodox hymn, captioned Powered by the Holy Spirit.
- Conor McGregor is returning to the octagon at UFC 329 in Las Vegas, where he faces Max Holloway.
- Ahead of the fight he posted training footage set to the Serbian Orthodox hymn "Pobedna pesma" (Victory Song), captioned "Powered by the Holy Spirit".
- The lyrics were written by Bishop Nikolaj Velimirovic, and the song has been going viral worldwide for months as a symbol of strength and endurance.
- The reaction across Serbia and the region was jubilant, with many jokingly calling the Irishman "Conor the Serb".
Picture a training hall somewhere outside Las Vegas, a heavy bag still swinging after a burst of punches and, over all of it, instead of the usual hip-hop, a Serbian Orthodox hymn ringing out like an anthem. That is exactly how Conor McGregor chose to announce his return to the cage. No fanfare, none of the trademark trash talk aimed at his opponent, just frames of sweat and music that in Serbia sounds as if it came straight out of a monastery.
The Irishman known as “The Notorious” posted a series of motivational photos and clips from his final training sessions on Instagram. For the soundtrack he picked “Pobedna pesma”, the “Victory Song”, a famous Serbian Orthodox composition, and captioned the whole post “Powered by the Holy Spirit”. For a fighter who built his career on swearing, money and brash predictions, this is a turn nobody saw coming.
Why did the Serbian “Victory Song” win McGregor over?
The answer lies in the power of the composition itself. “Pobedna pesma” is not new, but in recent months it has exploded across global social media. Its lyrics were penned by Bishop Nikolaj Velimirovic, and the song’s theme, tied to the Book of Revelation and the Second Coming of Christ, has turned online into a universal symbol of strength, faith and perseverance. Millions of people who do not understand a word of Serbian share it over clips of workouts, mountain climbs and personal battles.
McGregor, it seems, recognised precisely that tone. An athlete coming back after a long layoff needs fuel, and few things burn hotter than a song about the spirit’s victory over temptation. It is no accident that he paired it with images from the gym. The message is clear: this is not just physical preparation, it is something he treats as an inner mission. And that is exactly why the post struck a chord with the Serbian audience.
The reactions from Serbia and the wider region were instant. Comments poured in, from genuine delight to good-natured jokes that the Irishman had “become one of us”. Many, half seriously, have already renamed him “Conor the Serb”. For an Orthodox hymn, landing on the profile of one of the planet’s most recognisable sporting icons is a reach nobody could have dreamed of.
The return at UFC 329 and the Holloway test
All of this is happening on the eve of a major comeback. McGregor steps into the octagon at UFC 329 in Las Vegas, in the early hours between Saturday and Sunday, and across from him stands Max Holloway, one of the toughest and most respected fighters around today. A bout that on paper looks like a collision of two entirely different worlds, the cold technician and the charismatic showman, has now taken on an unexpected spiritual dimension too.
Whether the “Victory Song” really turns into a tailwind will be settled inside the cage. What is already clear is that McGregor has pulled off something few manage, getting even people who have never followed MMA to talk about him. He fused elite sport, global marketing and a piece of Serbian spiritual heritage into a post that is being retold from Dublin to Belgrade.
One question hangs in the air until the opening bell: will “Powered by the Holy Spirit” remain just a striking announcement, or the start of a whole new chapter in the career of “The Notorious”? What do you think, can a song decide a fight?
