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Mixed martial arts fighter and former two-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor has announced his retirement from the sport. The 30-year-old Irish fighter made the announcement on social media in the early hours of Tuesday, March 26.
McGregor last featured in the combat sport in October 2018, when he was beaten by Khabib Nurmagomedov as the Russian won the lightweight contest in the fourth round.
“I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as ‘Mixed Martial Art’ today,” he said. “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!. he concluded.
‘Mystic Mac’, as he is fondly referred to in the rings established himself as one of the leading fighters in the sport. McGregor fought just one boxing fight against Floyd Mayweather but lost out on knockout to the American boxer, earning an estimated fee of $30m (£23m) in the process.
He fought 25 professional UFC fighters and won 21 – ending 18 of those bouts in knockouts and lost four in the process. In 2018, a court instructed McGregor to have anger management training and perform five days of community service for criminal charges being dropped after he had attacked a bus containing rival UFC fighters.
Earlier this month McGregor was arrested in Miami for allegedly smashing a fan’s phone as they tried to take pictures of him.