Vladimir Putin declined to drink a bottle of Conor McGregor's infamous whiskey until it was tested for poison.

The MMA star gifted the bottle to the Russian president at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but revealed that he didn't touch a drop of it before it had been checked over by security and Notorious himself.

Conor initially handed the bottle to his host, but it was quickly seized by the security detail before it was opened.

McGregor has been spending time in Moscow to promote his 'liquid sunshine'. During a recent press conference, he explained what happened, saying, as per The Sun: "President Putin's security detail is second to none as I'm sure you know, you don't mess around with Vladimir.

"Many people don't know, the very first bottle of Proper Twelve Irish whiskey, I gifted to Vladimir Putin.

"So, I gifted the bottle, and I gifted it to his security.

"They had to take the liquid from the bottle to make sure the liquid was safe, and it was not maybe poisoned or whatnot and then it was gifted to Vladimir Putin."

Unfortunately, this meant that the Irish star didn't get to him. However, McGregor is sure that Putin would have cherished his gift despite the protocol.

He continued: "I haven't got to speak to him since to see what he thought of it, although I'm sure he did have a taste and I'm sure he enjoyed it."

Former world champion McGregor may be missing some vital information, though, because Putin doesn't consume alcohol. Instead, he enjoys a strict routine of healthy eating and exercise.

In 2018, Putin crossed paths with long-term rival Khabib Nurmagomedov and congratulated him on his win against the Irishman. Khabib was invited to meet the president and received praise for his performance.

There is potential for a second meeting between the three if Conor gets his wish of a rematch with the lightweight champion.

Dustin Poirier was the latest man to fall victim to the Dagestani - who now holds the longest active win streak in MMA. Following this encounter, Notorious tweeted: "Book my rematch for Moscow."