Earlier today (Tues. April 19, 2016), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight champion Conor McGregor announced that he decided to “retire young.”
Of course, many feel McGregor was simply seeking attention with his latest troll job, as he didn’t indicate he’d be walking away from mixed martial arts (MMA) specifically. However, his head coach John Kavanagh took to Twitter to further add fuel to the fire.
Well was fun while it lasted
— Coach Kavanagh (@John_Kavanagh) April 19, 2016
Still, many in the fight game are skeptical and strongly believe “Notorious” is attempting to drive up his purse with his high-profile rematch against Nate Diaz set to serve as the historic UFC 200 pay-per-view (PPV) main event on July 9, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Others, meanwhile, speculate that the recent — and untimely — death of MMA fighter Joao Carvalho in Ireland have him in self-preservation mode. In fact, Kavanagh even created a “Go Fund Me” page to support the Brazilian’s family in their time of need.
Whatever the case, it appears that it was definitely not a “phone hacked” situation. On the contrary, it appears there could indeed be a legitimate fire behind all the smoke:
Multiple sources are adamant at this time that McGregor’s tweet isn’t a joke, troll job or hoax of any kind. Reason(s) behind it is unclear.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 19, 2016
Reasons still unclear, but 4 hours later, multiple sources maintaining McGregor’s tweet is real. UFC working on next step(s) at this time.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 19, 2016
If true, it means the Irishman really is prepared to leave big paydays (such as this one) on the table. Meanwhile, UFC nor Dana White have yet to comment on the situation. So, until then, it’s okay to be a little skeptical.
One thing is certain, though, this other alleged retirement is more than likely a hoax.