India, July 12 -- As Conor McGregor prepares for his long-awaited return to the UFC after five years, attention is once again turning to the people closest to him. Ahead of his return at UFC 329, one person who has been part of his journey from the very beginning is Dee Devlin. The couple have been together for more than 17 years, built a family of four children, and went through some of the biggest highs and toughest moments of McGregor's career side by side. Their relationship began long before McGregor became one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts.

Although they grew up in nearby areas of Dublin, Ireland, Conor McGregor and Dee Devlin did not properly meet until 2008. At the time, Devlin was working at a nightclub and McGregor...