4 Reasons Not to Believe Conor McGregor's Latest Retirement Announcement

Conor McGregor is once again retired. At least, that's what the Irish MMA superstar would have the world believe.

McGregor announced his retirement on Twitter moments after the conclusion of the UFC 250 card on June 7.

"Hey guys I've decided to retire from fighting," the former two-division UFC champion wrote in his retirement Tweet, which included a photo of him with his mother. "Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it's been! Here is a picture of myself and my mother in Las Vegas post one of my World title wins! Pick the home of your dreams Mags I love you! Whatever you desire it's yours."

At this stage, McGregor has amassed enough wealth to retire, having had a massively successful combat sports career and launched multiple successful companies, such as his Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey and his August McGregor clothing line. He's also already cemented himself as one of the greatest and most influential fighters in MMA history, winning titles in two weight classes and shattering multiple UFC records, so there's really no need to stick around for his legacy's sake.

All the same, there is a widespread skepticism that his retirement will last. That skepticism is easy to understand.

To put it simply, it doesn't take a detective to deduce that we haven't seen the last of Conor McGregor in the Octagon. The clues are everywhere.

History Speaks for Itself

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Conor McGregor has retired often enough in a narrow-enough time frame that, at this point, nobody is going to believe he's actually hanging up his gloves until he moves into a retirement home.  

To refresh: The Irishman first retired in 2016, between his first and second fights with Nate Diaz.

"I have decided to retire young," McGregor wrote on Twitter at the time. "Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya's later."

He then retired for a second time in 2019, once again making his announcement on Twitter. 

"Hey guys, quick announcement," he wrote the second time around. "I've decided to retire from the sport [formerly] known as 'mixed martial arts' 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!"

At this stage, McGregor's retirement saga is MMA's response to Aesop's The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Maybe he means it this time, but he's simply fooled us too many times before to convince us.

Money Talks

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Conor McGregor likes money. In fact, no fighter in MMA history is more synonymous with wealth than he is.

He's collected the biggest paydays in UFC history by a massive margin. He took home a mountain of cash for his blockbuster 2017 boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. He's launched multiple successful businesses. Suffice it to say that he's a shrewd a businessman as he is a dangerous fighter.

So, while he claims to be retired, he might well end that retirement for the right payday.  

Anyone who has been following the MMA headlines over the last few weeks knows the UFC is catching some flack for the way it pays its fighters. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has threatened to vacate his title if he's not paid better. Welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal seems content to sit out if he's not given a serious pay boost. Former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion Henry Cejudo recently retired but admitted he would come back for the right price. The UFC doesn't seem to be in a rush to meet any of these fighters' demands, but none of these fighters are Conor McGregor.

McGregor is a different kind of star altogether. The former two-division champ has headlined four of the five most successful pay-per-views in UFC history. He's also been on the marquee for three of the five biggest gates in UFC history.

He is an absolute cash cow for the promotion, and sooner or later, its decision-makers are going to start missing him. When that happens, expect them to offer him a massive fight for massive money.

When that cash is on the table, don't be surprised if McGregor's current retirement goes the ways of his last two. Like we said, he likes money. 

He Won’t Be “Bored” Forever

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Shortly after McGregor announced his latest retirement, he partook in a quick interview with ESPN to shed some light on his decision. He emphasized the fact that he's currently bored.

"The game just does not excite me, and that's that," McGregor said. "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. 

"I'm a bit bored of the game," he added. "I don't know if it's no crowd. I don't know what it is. There's just no buzz for me."

While McGregor says boredom is part of the reason for his retirement, boredom could also end up being what ends it.

The man loves to fight. As recently as January, before his 40-second TKO win over Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, he was waxing poetic about his dedication to his craft.   

"For me, I'm back in my old frame of mind," McGregor told TheMacLife.com before he trounced Cowboy. "I just want consistency. I just want competition.

"Fighting is always close in my mind now. And I know I've got many businesses and these types of things that are driving at the minute. But fighting is my bread and butter, and that's what I'm focused on."

If McGregor loves fighting as much as he's led us to believe, he'll eventually get bored with retired life, like so many other fighters have. Before long, a new challenger will emerge from the crowd, the UFC will offer its most reliable cash cow another gargantuan payday, and the former two-division champ will suddenly realize his blood is pumping again.

He Has a Score to Settle

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While McGregor could be lured back to the cage by money or boredom, the easiest way to coax him back might be by offering up a rematch with undefeated UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov.

McGregor and Nurmagomedov fought in late 2018. Ahead of the fight, the pair quickly devolved into the most bitter of rivals. Oftentimes, rivalries fizzle out at the conclusion of a fight, but that was not the case for these two. 

After the fight, which Nurmagomedov won by fourth-round submission, their rivalry reached new heights as their teams engaged in a heated brawl both inside and outside the Octagon. The lingering animosity has festered to this day.

While Nurmagomedov has expressed reluctance to give Nurmagomedov give McGregor a rematch, McGregor has repeatedly shared his desire for a do-over with the reigning lightweight champion. If the UFC starts to miss its biggest star enough, it might just attempt to coax him back to the cage by offering a big-ticket rematch with his fiercest rival. It’s an opportunity McGregor would almost certainty leap at, and a fight Nurmagomedov would probably take for the right price. 

Really, it’s hard to imagine Conor McGregor ever hanging up the gloves without first getting another crack at his Russian rival.