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The MMA world was shaken to the core early Tuesday morning at 1 AM EST when Conor McGregor announced that he would be retiring from the sport known as 'Mixed Martial Art' effective immediately. He proceeded to thank his colleagues in the sport and joined others who had retired from the UFC.
The announcement took people by shock, to say the least.
While a large number of people reacted to the tweet with disbelief, others bid the most 'Notorious' man in MMA a fond farewell for his retired life. Others took the opportunity to mock Conor McGregor for what many people thought was a retirement prompted by the fear of getting beaten by Khabib Nurmagomedov again.
Since then, the internet has not stopped talking about his retirement. The conversation has ranged between saying that he has not really retired, to actually saying that it is all a farce, to speculating who his next opponent will be.
With that in mind, in this article, we are going to take a look at 5 reasons why Conor McGregor announced his retirement from MMA.
#5 Conor McGregor wants a new Challenge after MMA -- a move to WWE?
Conor McGregor has been a two-division Champion in UFC. In fact, he was the first person to hold both belts together simultaneously.
He has been an immense force in the world of MMA, helping to boost the popularity of the sport in the United States, Ireland, and globally.
With that being said... it's safe to say that Conor McGregor has almost achieved it all in the world of MMA. He might have been defeated by Khabib Nurmagomedov, but he has broken UFC PPV sales records again and again.
So when it is said that 'Conor McGregor retires from UFC and MMA', then it has to be understood that McGregor wants to try his hand someplace new.
With WWE being something that has been linked to McGregor multiple times, a move to the company might not totally be out of place. With WrestleMania 35 in two weeks, Conor McGregor might make an appearance in the world of professional wrestling.
#4 Conor McGregor has actually retired
Let's face it.
Conor McGregor does not have the same fire of the fighter who won 15 fights in a row. He no longer needs to fight as much. He has already done too much for him to have to care about something like fighting.
Every time he enters the Octagon, he puts his legacy on the line. His health -- both mental and physical are put through the wringer.
The life of a UFC fighter does not only last those 3/5 rounds inside the Octagon.
They have to prepare for each fight. They have to train almost all hours of the day. They have to maintain a certain body weight -- sometimes to the detriment of their own physical well-being.
For someone like Conor McGregor -- who has done it all in the Octagon and has enough money for a lifetime, this may seem like it's too much. After all, if a man has everything, why will he want to push himself to his breaking point?
#3 Conor McGregor wants a better deal with UFC
Conor McGregor is arguably the biggest name currently on the UFC's roster.
He attracts the most pay-per-view buys and is a global phenomenon. There's very little that McGregor has not done for the UFC, and now, he wants his own share in the UFC's takings.
McGregor has often talked about getting a share of the company the next time he participates in a UFC fight. At heart, Conor McGregor is a fighter. He just wants to fight.
However, over the years, he has grown to become a shrewd businessman as well, with a minute understanding of how to make money when required.
This could be McGregor's move to ensure that UFC gives him the deal that he wants when he comes back to fight. Both he and the UFC know that when he returns, it will be one of their biggest cards yet again.
#2 Conor McGregor is well off and wants to focus on other ventures
As mentioned in the last slide, Conor McGregor is a businessman. He is a businessman who is very well off.
He knows exactly what he needs to do to make sure that his affairs are taken care of.
With his own clothing line, as well as launching Proper Whiskey, McGregor has made it big outside MMA. He recently had tweeted a throwback to one of his best fights against Nate Diaz, where he had revealed that MMA was now the third level of his income.
Given his success elsewhere, McGregor no longer needs to put his body through the torture of preparing for yet another UFC fight. He can just sit at home, and manage his other businesses.
Whatever be the case, at the moment, McGregor is so well off, that he can get by without fighting ever again in his life. He might have realised this, and as a result, announced his retirement.
#1 Conor McGregor was trolling the fans with a throwback to the last time he 'retired'
Following his announcement, several fans did not quite believe that Conor McGregor had really called it quits and retired from the world of UFC.
Conor McGregor retiring is not something that's believable, because he has done this exact thing in the past.
He has said that he wants to retire young, and made the announcement on Twitter. The last time he did this was following a loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 196.
The retirement did not last, and McGregor faced Diaz at UFC 202, where he defeated him.
Now, coming off defeats to Floyd 'Money' Mayweather and Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor has been exchanging barbs with Nate Diaz.
Thus, his 1 AM EST announcement of deciding to retire is not, in the least bit, believable.
With rumors of a July fight with Nate Diaz, expect to see Conor McGregor back in the Octagon in time for his 3rd rubber fight with Nate Diaz.
Also Read: Conor McGregor is not retiring. Here's why.
