Conor McGregor Retires? Is it true? Could it be real?
Today, out of nowhere, UFC Featherweight champion Conor McGregor took to twitter and announced his retirement.
First came denial. In the immediate aftermath, most fans speculated that it was a joke from the Irishman. Perhaps he was getting bored in training, and decided to rile up the MMA world?
Those theories soon began to waver as Ariel Helwani (MMA’s most prominent journalist) tweeted that multiple sources had been adamant that McGregor’s tweet was exactly how it looked. Not a joke. Not a troll. Not a hoax.
Then, to add to the growing belief, McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh himself took to social media to simply post “Well it was fun while it lasted.”
Next came Icelandic site Ritsjóri MMA, who wrote in an article that they had contacted McGregor (who himself is in Iceland training) for an interview. His response?
“No, I’m retired. Fuck interviews.”
So far, reasons for McGregor’s decision are unknown, but that hasn’t stopped speculation.
Some point to the recent death of Joao Carvalho in Dublin, for which McGregor sat at ringside and watched first hand. Others figure it more likely to be negotiation tactics. UFC 200 tickets go on sale next week, and at present the McGregor-Nate Diaz rematch was set to headline the mega card, and so a McGregor retirement could put UFC plans into disarray. A strong bargaining tool, to be sure.
Some say he’s going to WWE, some say he’s angry that Georges St-Pierre is returning and the UFC were to put McGregor’s bout as the co-main event for 200.
If McGregor’s retirement is real (and so far there hasn’t been a reason to suggest it isn’t), it marks the career end of one of the sports biggest ever stars. Making his debut in 2013, in just two years McGregor had risen through the ranks to be a huge name in the UFC.
His appearances at UFC 189, UFC 194 and UFC 196 have all done huge numbers, in part due to McGregor’s command of a hugely passionate fanbase. All of those three events are considered to be some the most successful in the companies history. 
McGregor’s most recent appearance was a now infamous loss to Nate Diaz (who himself announced his retirement today… although that appears to be somewhat tongue in cheek) via Rear Naked Choke at UFC 196.
The two were scheduled for a second bout, with UFC President Dana White claiming that McGregor had been “obsessed” with getting the rematch.
So far, the UFC brass have made no comment on McGregor’s statement, nor regarding the UFC 200 main event status. Until that announcement comes, the headlines shall continue to read:
“Conor McGregor Retires.”
***Update***
UFC President Dana White appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter to discuss the reports of McGregor’s retirement, and while White didn’t confirm the retirement, he did announce that McGregor was out of the UFC 200 main event, and that the UFC would be looking into a replacement opponent for Nate Diaz.
“Is Conor McGregor retiring? Only he can answer that question. I don’t know,” White said. “But Conor McGregor is not fighting at UFC 200.”
White said that it was the UFC who made the decision to pull McGregor, after the Irishman refused to fly to Las Vegas this weekend for a press conference to promote the fight. White went on to say that McGregor had refused due to not wanting to affect his training for the rematch.
“Obviously we still have a good relationship with Conor,” White said. “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.”
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