This Tuesday UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor announced his retirement from MMA ahead of his UFC 200 bout against Nate Diaz.
I have decided to retire young.
Thanks for the cheese.
Catch ya’s later.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 19, 2016
Nate Diaz’s reaction:
I guess my work here is done I’m retiring too✌?️??
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) April 19, 2016
After hours of silence, the UFC has explained the reason for McGregor’s retirement announcement.
UFC president Dana White announced that McGregor ihas been removed from UFC 200, the biggest event of the promotion in July where he was set to face Nate Diaz in a rematch, because he had refused to come to Las Vegas to promote the event and attend a press conference.
White stated:
“Conor didn’t want to come to Las Vegas and be part of any promotional (work). He felt leaving right now would hurt his training. But every other fighter on the card is coming. It doesn’t make you exempt. We spend a lot of money on this stuff …
“Obviously we still have a good relationship with Conor. I respect Conor as a fighter and I like him as a person. But you can’t decide not to show up to these things. You have to do it.”
“Conor did not want to come to Las Vegas and film the commercial or be a part of any of the marketing we have,” “He’s in Iceland training and that’s not possible.”
Many regarded the retirement Tweet as a ‘troll-job’, multiple serious sources have now confirmed that McGregor is in fact serious about retiring.
MMA journalist Ariel Helwani confirmed:
Multiple sources are adamant at this time that McGregor’s tweet isn’t a joke, troll job or hoax of any kind. Reason(s) behind it is unclear.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 19, 2016
Conor McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, reacted to McGregor’s announcement on his Twitter, confirming McGregor’s retirement from MMA:
Well was fun while it lasted
— Coach Kavanagh (@John_Kavanagh) April 19, 2016
