Conor McGregor Retirement Just A Negotiation Tactic, According To Some Fans
Early Tuesday morning, Conor McGregor announced his retirement from the sport of mixed martial arts, as The Inquisitr reported. The former king of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s featherweight and lightweight divisions said on Twitter that he was bidding the sport adieu and that it was time for “Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!”
Some fans are sure to be shocked and dismayed by the news of The Notorious One’s departure, but others are pretty sure they’ll see the brash Irishman back in the sport eventually. After all, as The Inquisitr previously reported, this isn’t the first time McGregor announced his retirement. On April 19, 2016, McGregor said “I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya’s later,” also via Twitter.
Of course, McGregor returned to the UFC later in 2016, avenging his loss to Nate Diaz and capturing the lightweight belt from Eddie Alvarez. Many see his 2016 retirement as a negotiating tactic, an opportunity to get more of that proverbial cheese. Some of those fans think this retirement is more of the same. After all, it was only a week ago that revealed he was in negotiations with the UFC to return in July.
“Yes, we’re currently in negotiations, we’re aiming for July, we’ll see what happens,” McGregor told Chicago’s ABC 7 while in town as the guest of honor at the St. Patrick’s Day parade.
He said he was staying in shape and ready, elaborating that he’d been doing incline sprints on the treadmill in his hotel room that morning.
Fans on Reddit aren’t having it. On the site’s popular MMA subreddit, the top comment is glib and disbelieving.
“So this means he’ll probably have a fight announced next week?” said the user, to which another user replied, “Pretty much.”
Pop open a bottle of @ProperWhiskey with me tonight, on @FallonTonight! pic.twitter.com/VTy1oqYTx8
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 26, 2019
One user pointed out that McGregor appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon just last night to confirm the negotiations and aim for a July return. During the segment, which took place in an Irish pub, McGregor said there was “a lot of politics going on.”
“The fight game is a mad game,” he continued, before reassuring fans that he is in shape and ready.
When Fallon asked about potential opponents, McGregor said there were several options, but “In reality, I can pick who I please.”
McGregor also said he doesn’t need to fight, that he and his family are set for life (which is, of course, true), but that he is indeed “eager” to fight.
That doesn’t exactly sound like Conor McGregor is ready to hang up his gloves.
