
The Notorious One Retires from UFC
(For Now)

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor sent shockwaves through social media after he announced yet another retirement from fighting on his Twitter.
The disgruntled fighter cited a number of reasons for his decision, most notably including his frustration with Dana White and the UFC for not booking him in potential super-fights with interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje and former middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
McGregor made his announcement just minutes after the conclusion of UFC 250 where Amanda Nunes once again made history, becoming the first fighter in history to defend one title while holding another in a different division.
McGregor’s announcement clouded an otherwise historic night for both Nunes and the entire UFC, as he is one of the top competitors in the company and he would surely be missed if he decided to step away from the octagon.
This is not the first time that McGregor has taken the spotlight from other competitors, and former UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has had more than enough of his antics.
“I just wish Conor would pick better timing,” Cormier said. “These fighters are giving themselves and their all to everything, and every time he does something like that it completely takes the story. Before Amanda got to the back to be celebrated, it had shifted to Conor McGregor.”
This is the third retirement announcement McGregor has made since he broke out as an all-star entertainer five years ago, a fact that leads many to believe he will not follow through with his word.
“He’s the boy who cried wolf,” said UFC Hall of Famer Michael Gispin. “I don’t think anyone is convinced that he is actually retired. I mean, he’s a young man, he’s in his prime, he’s the biggest star this sport has ever seen. There’s money to be made, and I don’t think he’s going to leave that.”
While his case may be the most “notorious”, the fact remains that he is only one of many superstars who have decided to walk away from the sport early over the past few months, and the occurrence looks to be an alarming new trend.
Veteran Henry Cejudo vacated the bantamweight title last month after deciding to retire from the sport. Likewise, superstars Jorge Masvidal and Jon Jones recently voiced their grievances with the UFC over the past two weeks and both of their futures are now up in the air, as well.
If McGregor’s last fight, a bout that saw him take out Donald Cerrone in only 40 seconds, was his in fact his last, then it could go down as the most impressive final show put on by a fighter in the history of the sport.
Nevertheless, I bet that we have not seen the last of McGregor in the octagon, and I firmly believe the charismatic phenom will eventually be back on top when he regains his passion for the sport.