Conor McGregor has announced on social media that he is retiring from mixed martial arts.
McGregor posted early on Tuesday that he was walking away from the UFC after a “quick announcement”.
“I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as “Mixed Martial Art” today,” said the featherweight and lightweight UFC champion.
The note wishes his colleagues well going forward and said that he would “join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!”
McGregor had earlier announced his intent to fight on while being interviewed by Jimmy Fallon.
He said: “We’re in talks for July. There’s a lot of politics going on, it’s a mad game, the fight game. To my fans, I am in shape and I am ready.
“There are many opponents, in reality I can pick who I please. I don’t necessarily need to fight. I am set for life, my family is set for life.
“We are good, but I am eager to fight. We will see what happens, but I am just staying ready.”
UFC supremo Dana White backed the decision, claiming his investments outside the Octagon made it understandable.
White said: “He has the money to retire and his whiskey is killin (sic) it. It totally makes sense. 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.”
The 30-year-old’s decision is unlikely to be taken seriously though, give he also announced his retirement on Twitter in April 2016, saying he decided to retire young.
Though he quickly reversed that amid a dispute with his promoters about how much he should be obligated to tout a fight scheduled with Nate Diaz that was postponed.
Earlier this month, McGregor was arrested in South Florida for stealing the cellphone of someone who was trying to take his photo, authorities said. McGregor was charged with robbery and criminal mischief. His attorney described the altercation as minor.
McGregor, who is from Ireland, returned to UFC last fall after a hiatus during which he made his boxing debut, a loss to Floyd Mayweather. He was suspended from UFC for six months and fined $50,000 for a brawl after his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October.
Reuters also contributed to this report
