So Conor McGregor Says He’s Retiring; But is he Serious?

The MMA world, in fact, even the mainstream sports world is buzzing over Conor McGregor’s recent announcement that he’s retiring from fighting. But is the former UFC champ and superstar serious?

As you’ve likely heard by now, late on Monday McGregor sent out the tweet below:

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!

In a follow-up report from ESPN MMA, UFC President Dana White congratulated McGregor on his career, noted that the fighter is financially set and no longer needs to fight, and that he does think the Irish star is serious. So, could this be the case?

It’s possible. There’s no question that McGregor has made truckloads of money, and as White also alluded to, the fighter has his Proper Whiskey business as well. Plus, McGregor’s also a father now, so why continuing fighting?

But the timing of this announcement seems off in that respect. McGregor has repeatedly talked about returning to the Octagon in recent weeks, and he’s mentioned July as a possibility a couple of times. Just this past weekend, McGregor congratulated Pettis on his KO win over Stephen Thompson, before making what certainly sounded like an open challenge to the roster.

So, you can’t help but wonder if this announcement could be the results of negotiations going sour. Over the Saint Patrick’s Day weekend, McGregor told fans that he’s willing to fight anywhere on a card, and not necessarily in the main event, provided he receives some equity in the UFC. McGregor has said in the past that he wants an ownership stake in the company as well. It’s also worth noting that McGregor announced he was retiring in 2016.

In other words, McGregor could be committed to retiring right now, but don’t close the book on his fighting career just yet.