IO – UFC’s star Conor McGregor tweeted that he was decided to retiring for fighting.
“Hey guys I’ve decided to retire from fighting. Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it’s been!” he wrote.
“Here is a picture of myself and my mother in Las Vegas post one of my World title wins! Pick the home of your dreams Mags I love you! Whatever you desire it’s yours.”
On Sunday morning, McGregor told ESPN that he has lost his excitement for the sport.
“The game just does not excite me, and that’s that,” McGregor said. “All this waiting around. There’s nothing happening. I’m going through opponent options, and there’s nothing really there at the minute. There’s nothing that’s exciting me,”
“They should have just kept the ball rolling. I mean, why are they pushing [Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje] back to September? You know what’s going to happen in September, something else is going to happen in September, and that’s not going to happen. I laid out a plan and a method that was the right move, the right methods to go with. And they always want to balk at that and not make it happen or just drag it on. Whatever I say, they want to go against it to show some kind of power. They should have just done the fight — me and Justin for the interim title — and just kept the ball rolling.”
McGregor, 31, said he had written a draft of his retirement tweet two weeks ago and was “just tired” of the sport.
“I’m a bit bored of the game,” he told ESPN. “I’m here watching the fight. I watched the last show — the [Tyron-Woodley-Gilbert Burns] show — I watched the show tonight. I’m just not excited about the game, Ariel. I don’t know if it’s no crowd. I don’t know what it is. There’s just no buzz for me.”
This isn’t the first time McGregor, UFC’s former featherweight and lightweight champion, announced his retirement via Twitter.
He first walked away in March 2016 after deciding not to travel to the United States to take part in a news conference for his rematch against Nate Diaz. He eventually returned later that summer and defeated Diaz that August.
McGregor also retired via Twitter in April 2019 in the midst of negotiations with UFC, which were ultimately resolved, and he returned to action in January, defeating Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds.
McGregor’s return versus Cerrone was a financial success for UFC. Prior to that fight, McGregor vowed to fight three times in 2020. He was targeting his second fight to happen July 11 in Las Vegas, but the coronavirus pandemic halted those plans.
“I had my goals, my plans, the season. I had everything laid out,” McGregor said. “Obviously the world has gone bleeding bonkers at the minute. There’s f— all happening at the minute. They want to throw me up and down weights and offer me stupid fights. I don’t really give a f—. I’m over it.”
Over the past three months, McGregor has been vocal on social media about the pandemic and has been seen making huge donations to hospitals across his home country of Ireland. He has also shared videos and photos on social media of his workouts, including a video Saturday, and appears to be in fighting shape. (rp)