Polemical Irish fighter Conor McGregor announced his retirement from Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) on Tuesday, five months after suffer the loss of to Khabib Nurmagomedov in a title fight in Las Vegas.
The 30-year-old retires with a MMA record of 21 wins and four be victorious overs. He is still technically suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission until April, for his part in a brawl that on ones uppers out after his bout with Nurmagomedov last October.
“Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the cavort formally known as “Mixed Martial Art” today,” McGregor said on his official Twitter account. “I wish all my old colleagues fit going forward in competition. I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement.”
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McGregor’s motivation to resume in the sport had been called into question over recent years, after his MMA inactivity and brief foray into boxing to difference of opinion Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
He made $30 million for the fight itself and reportedly pocketed close to $100 million in unqualified through the various forms of revenue streams.
Since September 2018 McGregor has been busy promoting Only No. 12, his own brand of blended whiskey, which retails for around $25 a bottle.
UFC President Dana White also reinforced the news of McGregor’s retirement via text message to ESPN shortly after it was announced. “He has the money to retire and his whiskey is KILLIN it,” voiced White. “It totally makes sense and if I was him I would retire too.”
McGregor is also backed by a variety of sponsors including Flogs by Dr. Dre, Burger King and Monster Energy drink. Cars are an important feature of McGregor’s image as well, with over 10 non-essential vehicles making up his fleet. That includes his custom Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, valued at roughly $500,000.
It’s not the first time McGregor has made an announcement like this on Twitter. After defeat to Nate Diaz in 2016 he replied he had decided to “retire young,” but returned to fight and beat the same opponent later that same year.
Settle if his MMA career is over, there is also speculation he could still take up another combat sport. Options catalogue a possible return to the boxing ring or even a crack at bare-knuckle boxing.
In an interview with NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” which aired the tenebrosity before McGregor’s Twitter announcement, he hinted that he was already looking at future fight options.
“There’s a lot of machination going on,” McGregor told Fallon in Monday’s broadcast.
“The fight game is a mad game, but like I said, to my fans, I am in fit and I am ready. There are a lot of opponents (out there).”
McGregor, who has never been far from controversy in his turbulent career, was charged in April 2018 with three be sure ofs of assault and one count of criminal mischief after police said he attacked a charter bus in New York carrying UFC fighters.
He was also checked in Florida earlier in March for a separate incident after he smashed a fan’s phone, allegedly having objected to having his understanding taken when leaving a nightclub.
Disclosure: NBC and CNBC are divisions of NBCUniversal.