Conor McGregor Announces Retirement From MMA

Conor McGregor has tapped out of mixed martial arts fighting for good – he says.

In a social media post, the UFC superstar announced he is retiring from “Mixed Martial Art.”

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!

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 26, 2019

If McGregor doesn’t seem like a pina colada guy to you, the reference in the post is to a cocktail made with his liquor brand Proper No. Twelve Whiskey.

Though the outspoken Irishman is the most famous UFC fighter on the planet, McGregor hasn’t won a fight in the octagon since 2016 when he took out Eddie Alvarez to become the first UFC fighter to hold championship belts in two divisions at the same time.

The next year, he took a break from UFC to box against Floyd Mayweather, a bout he lost (but made tens of millions to participate in. Last year, McGregor returned to the UFC when he lost a title fight to Khabib Nurmagomedov via submission.

UFC President Dana White told The Associated Press that the 30-year-old’s announcement “totally makes sense.”

“He has the money to retire, and his whiskey is KILLIN it,” White told the AP. “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.”

Though White believes this retirement will stick, McGregor did announce he was done fighting in April 2016. He changed his mind days late and returned to the cage for a rematch with Nate Diaz which he won.

If he is truly done, perhaps McGregor will try his hand at WWE as recently retired NFL player Rob Gronkowski might do. It’s working out well for former UFCer Ronda Rousey.