Conor McGregor insists he’s not retired and hits out at UFC in emotional social media post
Irishman announces on Facebook that, “I AM NOT RETIRED,” and details why he sought a break from a promotional events
Conor McGregor, in a stirring response to his Ultimate Fighting Championship superiors who pulled him off the UFC 200 main event, announced on Facebook on Thursday that, “I AM NOT RETIRED,” and detailed why he sought a break from a promotional event last Friday in Las Vegas.
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
“I am just trying to do my job and fight here,” McGregor wrote. “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. There comes a time when you need to stop handing out flyers and get back to the damn shop. Fifty world tours, 200 press conferences, one million interviews, two million photo shoots, and at the end of it all I’m left looking down the barrel of a lens, staring defeat in the face, thinking of nothing but my incorrect fight preparation. And the many distractions that led to this. Nothing else was going through my mind.”
McGregor’s charisma and quick wit accelerated the popular Irishman’s rise through the UFC featherweight division, where he stunningly ended the 10-year unbeaten run of champion Jose Aldo with a knockout punch 13 seconds into their December fight.
His promotional workload continued through March, where he was to fight lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos before a foot injury necessitated a replacement fight with Nate Diaz.
McGregor wanted a rematch with Diaz and the UFC provided it to its most popular active fighter (with Ronda Rousey on the shelf).
But when UFC chairman Lorenzo Fertitta and president Dana White wanted McGregor to return from training in Iceland to attend a Friday UFC news conference, shoot commercials and participate in marketing work for the mega-event July 9 at the new 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, McGregor refused and went to Twitter to announce he was retiring.
Later Tuesday, White announced on ESPN he was pulling McGregor from UFC 200.