Is Conor McGregor retiring from UFC? MMA community casts doubts over his announcement

Conor McGregor apparently loves to swerve fans on social media. Amid his Twitter banter with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and wanting a rematch with the Russian, "The Notorious' dropped a bomb on Sunday after he announced his retirement from the octagon. However, with the latest Conor McGregor retirement being his third in four years, fans on social media are not convinced if this is the last of McGregor in UFC. Amid all speculation, 'Is Conor McGregor retiring for real?' seems to be the big question that needs to be answered. 

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Is Conor McGregor retiring from UFC? Conor McGregor retirement 

Conor McGregor appeared to have thought the retirement through before making the big announcement. The Irish MMA fighter shared a picture of himself alongside his mother as he bid goodbye to the octagon once it for all. However, the Conor McGregor retirement announcement comes just over a year after he retired for the second time in 2019, precisely, March 26, 2019. Here's a glimpse of his retirement announcement from last year.

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Going further back in time, in 2016, he retired for the first time after he claimed he wanted to "retire young". It's pretty well-known how his last two retirements fared. But, could this be the time McGregor bids farewell to the sport for real? Especially considering he has been inside the octagon just once in the previous 18 months. 

Is Conor McGregor retiring from UFC? Social media speculates his third retirement

Is Conor McGregor retiring from UFC? McGregor says "he's bored"

Despite him desperately wanting to face Khabib once again, McGregor has decided to retire citing "he's bored of the game" as a primary reason. "I'm a bit bored of the game. I watched the last show - the (Tyron) Woodley v (Gilbert) Burns show. I'm just not excited about the game," he told ESPN. "I don't know if it's no crowd. I don't know what it is. There's just no buzz for me."

Apart from his fleeting interest in the sport, Conor McGregor is also enjoying success in his various business ventures. August McGregor - his fashion partnership with tailoring brand David August - was launched right before his boxing showdown against Floyd Mayweather. McGregor's Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey is also reportedly a huge success in his native Ireland and the United States. It's perfectly understandable if the 31-year-old wants to focus on his business ventures, making a retirement decision plausible.

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Conor McGregor retirement: McGregor UFC career

If McGregor does actually retire, he would finish his career with a record of 22 wins and four defeats. His last win came in January 2020, when he beat 'Cowboy' Donald Cerrone in just 40 seconds. He will leave the sport ranked eighth on the UFC pound-for-pound list. 

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