The former two-weight UFC champion says he's done.
The Notorious is bidding farewell to the sport that brought him fame.
On Monday night, Conor McGregor took to Twitter to announce that he’s decided to retire from the UFC.
“Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as ‘Mixed Martial Art’ today,” he wrote. “I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition.”
The 30-year-old former two-weight UFC champion went on to hint at how he intends to enjoy his time away from the Octagon, writing, “I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!”
His last fight, in October 2018 against Khabib Nurmagomedov, ended in defeat. The Russian won the lightweight bout by a fourth-round submission. However, a fight broke out afterward, resulting in fines and suspensions for both players.
McGregor is one of the MMA fighters who helped lend the sport mass appeal while catapulting the Irish former apprentice plumber into fame and fortune.
In 2017, he accepted a boxing match against five-division boxing champion Floyd Mayweather. Although he lost in the 10th round by technical knockout, McGregor is rumored to have still netted roughly $100 million from the match, according to Forbes.
It’s important to note that this isn’t the first time that he has announced that he’s retiring. In April 2016, McGregor tweeted, “I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese.”
However, he soon issued a retraction, claiming the announcement was over issues with UFC higher-ups regarding promotional work.
"I'm doing what I need for me now. It is time to be selfish with my training again. It is the only way," McGregor wrote on Facebook. "I am paid to fight. I am not yet paid to promote. I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting."
The now-former MMA fighter is also known for his antics outside of competition. Earlier this month, he was arrested in Miami for strong-arm robbery and criminal mischief. According to the police report obtained by ET, a fan attempted to take photo of him outside a hotel in Miami Beach. McGregor allegedly knocked the phone out of their hand before stepping on it. The report adds that McGregor allegedly picked up the phone and took it with him. The owner of the phone filed a police report and McGregor was soon taken into custody and held on $12,500 bail.
In the fall of last year, McGregor launched an Irish whiskey brand, Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey, which he introduced to Jimmy Fallon on Monday when appearing on his late-night show. During their chat, he discussed his future in fighting, explaining his eagerness to enter the Octagon again while also nodding to his financial success.
“I’ve gone through some crazy injuries, some crazy external situations that many a man would sprint for the hills if it happened to them,” he explained. “But I stood firm, done my piece for the company. Like I said, this whiskey is my baby. I have a lot of great entities. I don’t necessarily need to fight. I am set for life, my family is set for life. We are good. But I am eager to fight. So, we will see what happens. I’m just staying ready, as I like to say.”
The whiskey brand’s name is a tribute to District 12, the working-class Dublin neighborhood where McGregor grew up. After chatting, Fallon and the former fighter lead their fellow patrons in some singing.
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