MMA superstar Conor McGregor said on Tuesday that he has “decided to retire young”. It was not clear whether the famously outspoken McGregor – who is known for making statements intended to cause controversy – was referencing a retirement effective immediately or in the future.
The UFC featherweight champion, who lost by second-round submission to Nate Diaz in a non-title fight last month, made the abrupt, cryptic announcement on his verified Twitter account.
I have decided to retire young.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 19, 2016
Thanks for the cheese.
Catch ya's later.
The 27-year-old from Dublin, who has emerged as the sport’s biggest draw, had already signed for a rematch with Diaz at UFC 200 on 9 July, a fight he had reportedly clamored for in the weeks after suffering his first career defeat in MMA’s leading promotion.
McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh was no less coy in appearing to confirm his fighter’s announcement. “Well (it) was fun while it lasted,” Kavanagh tweeted shortly after McGregor’s initial post.
The announcement comes one week after the death of Joao Carvalho from injuries suffered during a Total Extreme Fighting card earlier this month where McGregor watched from ringside.
The Irishman called Carvalho “a hell of a fighter” in a Facebook post following his passing, adding: “To see a young man doing what he loves, competing for a chance at a better life, and then to have it taken away is truly heartbreaking.”
Adding to the confusion was a tweet from Diaz himself, sent four minutes prior to Kavanagh’s, in which the Californian appeared to announce his own retirement.
While the closely coordinated tweets prompted many observers to write off the announcements as standard fight-game theatrics – or perhaps an organized protest to extract a better deal from the promoter – bookmaker William Hill now lists the odds of the fight being scuttled at 1/4, with 11/4 odds for it to go on as scheduled.
Calls to the UFC requesting comment on Tuesday afternoon were not immediately returned.
