Conor McGregor remains one of the most popular and polarizing figures in combat sports. The former two-division UFC champion is known for his brash personality, devastating left hand, and foray into boxing against Floyd Mayweather. However, McGregor has also become known in recent years for his retirement teases. He has “retired” multiple times via social media announcements, only to return to fighting months later. In this article we talk about Is Conor McGregor Retired? The Truth Behind the Rumors.
So when McGregor again declared himself retired in June 2022, after healing from the broken leg he suffered in his last fight, many fans and pundits were skeptical. Is McGregor really retiring this time, or is this just another break before he returns to pursue more big-money fights?
Why Did McGregor Retire Again?
On June 6th, 2022, McGregor posted a simple statement to his Twitter account: “MMA, I’ll never forget you! Easy work.”
This seemed to imply he was retiring from mixed martial arts competition. The post came nearly one year after McGregor broke his tibia and fibula against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
McGregor had surgery and went through a grueling rehabilitation process to recover. The injury and time off appears to have made him reconsider his fighting future.
UFC president Dana White reacted to the retirement announcement with skepticism.
“I think this will be the fourth or fifth time he’s retired,” White said. “When he announces he’s retiring, I just let Conor do his thing. I don’t try to talk him out of it or talk him into it.”
Previous McGregor Retirement Teases
As White referenced, this is far from the first time McGregor has stated he is retiring and walked away from MMA and boxing. A quick history of his retirement fakeouts:
– April 2016 – Tweeted “I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya’s later” after being pulled from UFC 200 for refusing to attend a press conference. Returned two days later.
– March 2019 – Announced retirement in an Instagram post after losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov. Returned in 2020.
– June 2020 – Announced third retirement on Twitter during early days of Covid-19 pandemic. Returned in 2021.
– August 2022 – Posted “MMA, I’ll never forget you! Easy work” on Twitter one year after suffering broken leg against Poirier.
So history shows it would be foolish to fully believe McGregor is committed to retirement this time either. He likely just needs time off to heal and regain motivation.
Signs Pointing to Another Comeback
Despite his latest retirement tweet, there are already indications Conor McGregor is targeting an MMA comeback in 2023. These include:
– McGregor has maintained he wants a fourth fight against Poirier after suffering his first ever MMA knockout against him in 2021. Their series is currently 1-2 in favor of Poirier.
– Fellow lightweight contender Michael Chandler has repeatedly called out McGregor for a big money fight. McGregor has stated he’d be willing to face Chandler.
– UFC announcer Joe Rogan claimed on a September 2022 podcast he heard McGregor plans to return to begin training in early 2023.
– Updates and videos from McGregor’s social media show him looking healthy and fit in ongoing recovery. He appears ready to kick the training into high gear.
So despite his latest “retirement” tweet, all signs point to Conor plotting another Octagon comeback once he finishes rehabbing his leg. Early 2023 seems the targeted return date.
What About Boxing Again?
The other combat sports avenue for Conor McGregor is boxing. He made worldwide headlines for his 2017 crossover fight against Floyd Mayweather, which he lost via TKO in the 10th round.
Since then, McGregor has teased further boxing matches. He once stated he planned to box Manny Pacquiao in 2021, but the fight never materialized.
Jake Paul, the YouTuber turned pro boxer, has also tried goading McGregor into a boxing match. After knocking out MMA fighters Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley, Paul called out McGregor on social media and even offered him $50 million guaranteed to fight.
However, while McGregor remains under UFC contract, it seems unlikely he’ll box Paul or anyone else. UFC president Dana White would likely block any boxing return until McGregor fulfills his MMA contract.
There’s also the question of whether McGregor still has passion for boxing training after focusing on MMA for so many years. For now, a professional boxing comeback appears unlikely.
The Verdict – Will McGregor Stay Retired?
Given Conor McGregor’s history of retirement fakeouts and teases, smart money is on him returning to the Octagon in 2023. UFC president Dana White pays little mind to McGregor’s social media retirement proclamations at this point.
McGregor figures to take the remainder of 2022 off to fully heal his leg before resuming training. Once back to 100%, there are still big money MMA fights on the table against the likes of Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Nate Diaz.
A boxing comeback seems less realistic in the short term unless McGregor buys out his UFC deal. But he remains intent on avenging his losses in MMA first.
So while Conor McGregor tweeted “retirement” yet again, don’t expect him to stay away from fighting for long. Pencil in an MMA return fight date sometime in 2023. I sincerely hope you find this “Is Conor McGregor Retired? The Truth Behind the Rumors” article helpful.
