In the middle of the night, professional mixed martial artist and boxer Conor McGregor surprised the world by announcing on Twitter that he would be retiring from the sport. The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion tweeted:
“Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as “Mixed Martial Art” today. I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition. I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement.
Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!”
Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as “Mixed Martial Art” today.
I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition.
I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement.
Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!
This kind of news felt especially out of left field considering he appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon earlier in the evening, discussing his next fight.
So, not everyone is on board in fully believing McGregor. If wanted make such a huge announcement, why wait until the middle of the night and not when you’re on prime time TV?
Conor McGregor loves the limelight. He’d retire in the middle of the night, after not retiring during his appearance on Jimmy Fallon? It just sounds fishy – like it’s some sort of publicity thing we don’t yet know the details on…
However, the announcement seems to be pretty legit, especially after ESPN’s Brett Okamoto tweeted out the text messages from UFC President Dana White. The messages read: “He has the money to retire and his whiskey is killing it. It totally makes sense. If I was him, I would retire too. He’s retiring from fighting. Not from working. The whiskey will keep him busy and I’m sure he has other things he’s working on. He has been so fun to watch!!! He has accomplished incredible things in this sport. I am so happy for him and I look forward to seeing him be as successful outside of the octagon as he was in it.”
Statement from Dana White (@danawhite) on Conor McGregor’s retirement announcement moments ago, via text.
Even though he hasn’t fought since early October, where he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229, it’s hard to believe that McGregor is officially done. At 30-years-old, most believe there’s still a lot of fight left in him. In fact, “Mystic Mac” once announced that he was retiring back in 2016, and it was also with a tweet. He wrote, “I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya’s later.”
I have decided to retire young.
Thanks for the cheese.
Catch ya’s later.
If this truly is the end of the McGregor era, according to FOX Sports, he will leave the sport with a record of 21 wins and 4 losses.
READ NEXT: WATCH: Trump Compliments Ovechkin’s Big Hands During White House Visit