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In a shocking turn of events, former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight champion, Conor McGregor announced his retirement from Mixed Martial Arts. The Notorious One announced his decision via his Twitter account.
"Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as “Mixed Martial Art” today. I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition. I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!"
This is not the first time that McGregor has announced that he is retiring from MMA. In April 2016, The Notorious One said that he wanted to retire young. But he quickly reversed in August 2016 as he returned to fight Nate Diaz at Las Vegas. Fans and critics slammed this move by calling it as a negotiating gambit.
The Notorious One last stepped inside the Octagon at UFC 229 on 6th October 2018 to challenge Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC Lightweight championship. McGregor, however, lost the fight in the fourth round as he was forced to submit.
While it is uncertain if he has finally pulled the curtains down on his career, McGregor has surely been one of the most polarizing figures in the UFC.
He secured the interim Featherweight title championship in the year 2015 with a TKO win over Chad Mendes before unifying the title with a dominant knockout win over then champion, Jose Aldo. McGregor knocked out the Brazilian in just 13 seconds.
McGregor also defeated Eddie Alvarez in 2016 to win the Lightweight championship and become the first fighter in UFC to hold titles in two separate weight classes. The Notorious One stepped into the boxing ring as well to challenge Floyd Mayweather Jr in a losing effort.
Here's a look at how some celebrities have reacted to his announcement:
