Conor McGregor says he is "heartbroken" following the death of his pet dog Hugo, who he described as his "closest companion".
The UFC star said Hugo was with him "all the way" as the Dubliner rose from an unknown MMA fighter to one of the richest athletes in the world.
Posting on Instagram, McGregor said: "So heartbroken to say my dog Hugo has passed away. He was with me all the way, my closest companion.
"From sleeping on a bed frame without a mattress to everything else that came after.
"Thank you for all the work put in alongside me to get this life correct for our family. All the love and cuddles we will miss forever and ever our Hugo! Gutted."
"RIP the best boy Hugo McGregor."
McGregor shared a number of photos with Hugo over the years, including with his mum Margaret and fiancee Dee Devlin.
The former two-weight champion's dad Tony also paid tribute to Hugo online, writing: "Hugo RIP."
Meanwhile, McGregor's sister Aoife wrote: "Fly high Hugo McGregor. Absolutely devastated."
His niece Taylor posted: "Absolutely heartbroken. We loved you so much."
The news comes just days after an assault allegation was made against McGregor in Rome.
He is alleged to have punched Italian DJ Francesco Facchinetti when the pair partied together in the Italian capital in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Facchinetti officially filed a complaint against the UFC star with Italian police on Tuesday.
He took to Instagram to post a copy of his official police complaint with the caption: “Do you think I was joking? In here is everything that happened from A to Z.”
And now Mr Facchinetti has claimed he is not interested in being “paid off” to withdraw his complaint – even if he was offered €10million.
He alleged the MMA fighter assaulted him during a party in Rome in the early hours of Sunday, leaving him with a broken nose and split lip. McGregor was in the city with Dee Devlin as they christened their five-month-old son Rian at the Vatican.
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
