.jpg)
UFC superstar Conor McGregor has once again announced his retirement from combat sports – making it at least the third time that he vowed to retire.
McGregor made the announcement on Twitter following the UFC 250 pay-per-view event in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Early last year, McGregor said he was retiring after losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in October 2018. He also made retirement claims in 2016.
But, he came back to the UFC in January with a first round knockout of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246.
.jpg)
After the UFC 250 had concluded, McGregor wrote on social media – “Hey guys I’ve decided to retire from fighting. Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it’s been! 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.”
UFC president Dana White has not spoken to McGregor about fighting again – because due to the corornavirus pandemic the UFC is unable to stage events with a live crowd.
Without the addition of gate revenue and a sizable site fee, the UFC is unable to meet McGregor’s financial demands to fight again.
Other top UFC stars, like Jon Jones and Jorge Masvidal, have been openly complaining about money being offering and are declining opportunities to fight.
Both Jones and Masvidal have asked to be released from their contracts.
White denied claims that he’s pressuring McGregor and other UFC stars to fight.
“Nobody is pressuring anybody to fight. And if Conor McGregor feels he wants to retire, you know my feelings about retirement — you should absolutely do it. And I love Conor…there’s a handful of people that have made this really fun for me. And he’s one of them,” White said.
“If that’s what Conor is feeling right now — Jon Jones, Jorge Masvidal, I feel you. It’s not like I’m going, ‘Holy sh-t, this is crazy, this is nuts.’ Nothing is crazy and nuts right now, because everything is crazy and nuts right now, on a certain level. I totally understand it and get it.”
McGregor has been discussing the idea of returning to the sport of boxing – but his latest retirement may have put the brakes on those plans.
He made his boxing debut in August of 2017, when he stepped in the ring with Floyd Mayweather. Their pay-per-view generated the second highest buyrate in history, with Mayweather stopping McGregor in ten rounds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.