Conor McGregor has introduced his retirement for the third time in 4 years.
McGregor abruptly made his newest doubtful declaration Sunday morning on his Twitter account, the place the previous two-division UFC champion additionally introduced his retirement in 2016 and 2019.
“Hey guys I’ve determined to retire from preventing,” McGregor wrote in a caption under a photograph of him and his mom. “Thanks all for the superb reminiscences! What a trip it’s been!”
Hey guys I’ve determined to retire from preventing.
Thanks all for the superb reminiscences! What a trip it’s been!
Here’s a image of myself and my mom in Las Vegas submit considered one of my World title wins!
Choose the house of your goals Mags I like you!
No matter you need it’s yours ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Dh4ijsZacZ— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 7, 2020
The 31-year-old Irish famous person revitalized his fight sports activities profession in January with a powerful first-round stoppage of Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 246. McGregor (22-4) hadn’t received a struggle in a blended martial arts cage or a boxing ring since 2016, however he remained the UFC’s brightest star and largest monetary draw.
UFC President Dana White has already mentioned McGregor is subsequent in line for a title shot on the winner of light-weight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s bout with Justin Gaethje this summer season.
The UFC’s schedule is in upheaval because of the coronavirus pandemic, however McGregor was anticipated to get his title shot later this yr, and he lately had been speaking to White about taking one other struggle even earlier. Earlier this week, McGregor posted photographs and movies of himself coaching for fights.
White was nonetheless keen to take McGregor’s retirement announcement at face worth — no less than publicly — when he discovered about it at his information convention following UFC 250 in Las Vegas.
“If Conor McGregor feels he needs to retire, you realize my emotions about retirement,” White mentioned. “You must completely do it. And I like Conor. … There’s a handful of those who have made this actually enjoyable for me, and he’s considered one of them.”
Retirements are a time-honored system for gathering consideration and elevated bargaining energy in fight sports activities. From Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather to Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, numerous champions of boxing and MMA have gone again on their solemn bulletins at any time when want or ego introduced them again to the game.
McGregor made his first Twitter retirement announcement in April 2016 throughout a spat with the UFC over promotion of his rematch with Nate Diaz.
McGregor famously wrote: “I’ve determined to retire younger. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya’s later.”
McGregor and Diaz fought in August 2016.
Three years later, McGregor retired once more in March 2019 in what White believed was a gambit to entice the UFC to supply him an possession stake within the firm. McGregor started speaking about new fights shortly afterward, and he ultimately returned to face Cerrone in early 2020.
The loquacious McGregor has lengthy confirmed that his pronouncements can’t be taken as gospel reality. Earlier this yr, McGregor “accepted” future fights in opposition to former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and long-retired boxing famous person Oscar De La Hoya with little motive to suppose they are going to ever occur.