Rabat – The Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) champion Conor McGregor announced Sunday, June 7 on Twitter his decision to retire from UFC fighting.
“Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it’s been!” wrote the Irish fighter.
In an interview with ESPN on June 7, McGregor said that he has lost his excitement for the sport. “The game just does not excite me, and that’s that.”
“All this waiting around. There’s nothing happening. I’m going through opponent options, and there’s nothing really there at the minute. There’s nothing that’s exciting me,” the 31-year-old continued.
McGregor also posted a photo of a cake on Twitter with icing that reads “Happy retirement daddy.”
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 7, 2020
McGregor had already announced his retirement in March 2016, after he decided not to face fighter Nate Diaz in a rematch, but changed his mind a few months later. He then faced and defeated the American fighter.
Nicknamed “The Notorious,” McGregor was the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight champion in 2015 and 2016, and lightweight champion in 2016 and 2018.
His latest combat brought him against American fighter Donald Cerrone on January 18 of this year, a match which he won.
The UFC champion had been preparing for a fight on July 11 in Las Vegas which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I had my goals, my plans, the season. I had everything laid out,” McGregor said to the same source. “Obviously the world has gone bleeding bonkers at the minute.”
The Irish champion is considered as one of the best in the UFC. He fought one of his most iconic combats against worldwide boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 27, 2017, in which he lost in the 10th round to the American boxer.
Using his fame and resources to contribute to the worldwide effort against COVID-19, McGregor has made significant donations to hospitals across his home country, Ireland. McGregor donated €1.4 million worth of medical supplies.
