UFC world divided after Conor McGregor hints at MMA retirement for 4th time in six years

UFC superstar Conor McGregor took to his official Twitter handle on Thursday night and appeared to announce his retirement from MMA. This is the fourth time in the last six years that the Irish fighter has hinted toward a retirement. McGregor put out a no. of tweets on Thursday night and hinted at retiring from MMA and starting a new journey in Hollywood.

In his first tweet, McGregor shared a picture of him from the octagon and said, “Throwback to me vs Gabriel Gonzaga in Japan, I can’t believe I’m about to hit Hollywood. I will do you all proud”. Following up with a second tweet, McGregor said, “Mma, I’ll never forget you! Easy work”. In a third tweet about the same, McGregor added, “I’ll never let go, Jack!”.

Conor McGregor is all set to make his acting debut in Hollywood

Earlier on Wednesday, it was reported that the MMA superstar will begin his journey in Hollywood as he is teaming up with Jake Gyllenhaal in the remake of the 1989 cult classic Road House. Speaking to MMA Junkie, McGregor’s spokeswoman, Jake Gyllenhaal said, “Conor McGregor is very excited to expand his storied career to Hollywood and join with Jake Gyllenhaal in this reimagining of ‘Road House,’ a beloved classic”.

However, it is worth noting that Gyllenhaal also said fighting remains the top priority for the 24-year-old. “While fighting remains his top focus, this is the beginning of another successful venture in the McGregor empire. He is eager to get started filming,” the spokeswoman added.

Conor McGregor's retirement saga

The former two-weight UFC champion first announced his retirement in 2016, after his rematch against Nate Diaz was removed from UFC 200. However, McGregor later returned to the Octagon for a rearranged second fight against Diaz and earned a victory. He then lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in 2018 and autumn later, he announced he is quitting the sport.

McGregor again retracted his words and knocked out Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds in his return to the octagon in January 2020. As the Covid-19 pandemic sent the entire sporting world on the sidelines, McGregor announced his third retirement in the summer of 2020. However, made a return yet another time in January 2021 for his bout against Dustin Poirier. 

Conor McGregor's tweets leave UFC fans divided

While there is no confirmation about McGregor’s return to the octagon as of now, he is currently recovering from a broken leg that he suffered during his loss against Poirier last year. However, the pictures and videos shared by him on social media have kept the hope for his UFC return alive. It is pertinent to mention that McGregor has lost two back-to-back bouts against Poirier in his last two appearances in UFC. 

(Image: AP)