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Win or lose, every time Conor McGregor steps inside the octagon, he makes sure that fight fans across the globe are tuned in. Undoubtedly the most popular fighter in UFC history, McGregor generates massive revenue for the promotion by selling millions of pay-per-views every time his name is announced on a fight card.
Fans want to see him fight despite a recent drop in form, and the promotion's top brass obviously want the Irishman to compete as long as he can because of the revenue he generates.
He is expected to return to action later this year after healing from the leg break he suffered against Dustin Poirier in 2021. While we would all love to see the fighter make a comeback, does the Irishman really need to fight again? His former opponent Max Holloway recently said that he wouldn't be surprised if McGregor doesn't fight again.
In this article, we'll look at possible reasons why we may have already seen McGregor's final performance inside the octagon. Without further ado, here are five reasons why Conor McGregor might never fight in the UFC again.
#5. Conor McGregor lacks motivation to compete
In the words of the great former pro-boxer Marvin Hagler, "It’s tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5 AM when you’ve been sleeping in silk pajamas." Conor McGregor is the highest paid fighter in the UFC and has been so for the past few years.
The former two-division champion has several successful businesses outside of the fight game and is living a life of luxury that most dream of but few can afford. Over the years, the hungry, motivated young lad from Dublin, Ireland, has gone on to become a public figure and a globally recognized icon.
He's also the only mixed martial artist to have topped Forbes' list of highest earning athletes. Having already earned so many accolades and achieved so many milestones in his truly incredible career, what could possibly continue to motivate Conor McGregor to go through the rigors of a pro-fighter's daily life?
One might argue that it is his love for competition, but love for fighting alone doesn't motivate you enough to spend hours in training and weeks away from family during training camps in the lead up to fights. Conor McGregor will always remain passionate about the fight game as it is his first love, but one can hardly argue that he isn't the same fighter he once was.
Back in the day, when he had just signed with the UFC, McGregor was driven by different things. Hailing from a humble background, McGregor was desperate to do whatever it took to secure a future for his family. He was hungry to prove that he's among the best fighters on the planet.
He wanted to prove that he could walk the talk. That's why we witnessed cold-blooded knockout artistry during his incredible run that saw him become the first-ever fighter in UFC history to hold two belts simultaneously. He's done it all, having headlined five out of the six highest selling pay-per-views in the promotion's history.
With all that in the past now and beautiful children to raise and spend time with, it must be difficult for Conor McGregor to get into the mindset he once brought to fights. On top of that, McGregor only competes in big fights against elite competition. Most of these fighters want to earn the biggest paychecks of their lives by fighting the Irishman, and increase their popularity by beating him.
It is difficult for 'Notorious' to have the hunger and zeal to train as hard as is required to deal with these men, who are training day and night to have what McGregor already owns.
#4. Conor McGregor has several other businesses to take care of
Apart from being a world-class fighter, Conor McGregor also happens to be a successful businessman. From fitness to fashion and hospitality, McGregor has delved into several industries, but his most successful venture turned out to be the whiskey business.
In 2018, a year after his blockbuster crossover matchup with Floyd Mayweather, McGregor launched Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey, named after the neighborhood of Crumlin where he grew up. From fights to press conferences, public appearances and social media, McGregor left no stone unturned in promoting the brand.
His efforts bore fruit as the brand flourished and, according to McGregor himself, sold thousands of bottles in the United States within a year of its launch. In 2021, McGregor and the co-founders of Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey sold their majority stake in the company to Proximo Spirits for a reported $600 million.
With several successful businesses to run, McGregor is only left with so much time to devote to the fight game. Make no mistake, McGregor is still in phenomenal shape and could return to the octagon if he wishes to, but it's impossible for him to devote as much time to fighting as he used to.
Apart from the fight game and other businesses, the man also has a family he needs to devote time to. After doing all this, it is difficult for him to train as much as other UFC fighters do on a day-to-day basis.
#3. The fight game has evolved in his absence
During his stint in the featherweight division, Conor McGregor was one of the most unpredictable strikers in the UFC. McGregor's stance was unorthodox, he could catch you from different angles and he was lethal even while moving backwards. The Irishman's world-class counter-punching was what separated him from the rest.
However, ring rust is a real phenomenon in most physical sports. Perhaps the fact that McGregor has competed just four times in the last six years has affected him adversely. 'Notorious' also made some technical adjustments for his boxing match with Floyd Mayweather that he is seemingly finding difficult to unlearn.
Boxing requires a different striking skillset compared to MMA. McGregor learned that the hard way when he came out with a boxing-heavy stance in his rematch with Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. Poirier chomped away at McGregor's lead leg until the Irishman's movement was compromised and he was subsequently knocked out.
The top-five ranked contenders in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions have all been active recently and are used to regularly competing against elite fighters. The star that he is, McGregor can't afford a step down in competition. It is likely that he will face a third consecutive loss if he fights one of the top-five ranked contenders in either of the aforementioned divisions.
#2. He risks aggravating past injuries/ suffering severe physical damage
Financially, 2021 may have been a great year for Conor McGregor but luck did not favor the Irishman inside the octagon. In fact, it was one of the worst years of his fighting career. McGregor returned to the cage in January last year to face Dustin Poirier in a rematch of their 2014 clash.
Despite starting off well, McGregor's lead leg got compromised due to Poirier's leg kicks and he ended up suffering the first knockout loss of his career at UFC 257. Desperate to avenge the loss, the Irishman took on Poirier in a trilogy fight at UFC 264.
At the end of the first round, McGregor ended up suffering a clean break in the tibia and fibula of his left leg, losing the fight via TKO (doctor's stoppage). He underwent surgery following the fight and had a titanium rod placed in his knee to help put the broken bones back in place.
Coming from a kickboxing background, McGregor often uses kicks to keep his opponents at bay or to set them up for his lethal left-hand strikes. It will be difficult for the Irishman to involve a lot of kicking in his gameplan after such an injury.
There is also the risk of getting kicked and ending up injuring the leg again. There's no doubt that his opponents will look to hurt McGregor's left leg, which could very well turn out to be the Achilles' heel for the Irishman going forward.
Having taken several strikes to the face and head during his fights with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier, one wonders if the Irishman's chin is as strong as it once was. For these reasons, it may be better if he doesn't risk stepping inside the octagon again.
#1. Fear of losing his legacy
Conor McGregor's legacy as one of the most popular fighters of all time is already etched in stone. Having said that, he is on the verge of being regarded as an overrated fighter with good striking chops who made a name for himself because of his insane skills on the microphone.
The truth is, that's far from the case. McGregor is one of the best fighters to have graced the octagon and there's no doubt he is a world class athlete. However, if he loses three straight fights, recency bias will creep in and people will forget the Irishman's glory days in the promotion.
Although he is 1-3 in his last four fights, the losses came against Dustin Poirier and Khabib Nurmagomedov, two of the greatest lightweights of all time. There's no shame in losing to them. If McGregor returns to fight a lower-ranked fighter and ends up losing, his aura, star power, as well as credibility are sure to take a huge blow.
Is he willing to risk all that just for the sheer love of competition? Only time will tell.
