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'BEEN A RIDE'
Conor McGregor RETIRES again as MMA legend, 31, reveals UFC doesn’t ‘excite’ him anymore in emotional Instagram post
CONOR MCGREGOR has announced he is retiring from UFC aged just 31.
The MMA legend - who leaves with a record of 22 wins and four losses - posted an emotional goodbye message on his Twitter account on Sunday morning.
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It is not the first time the Irishman has claimed he is hanging up his gloves, and it is not known whether this will be his final farewell.
He said: "Hey guys I’ve decided to retire from fighting.
"Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it’s been!
"Here is a picture of myself and my mother in Las Vegas post one of my World title wins!
"Pick the home of your dreams Mags I love you!
"Whatever you desire it’s yours."
And McGregor would go on to tell ESPN that the sport did not "excite" him anymore, particularly with all the "waiting around " due to coronavirus.
He said: "The game just does not excite me and that's that.
"All this waiting around. There's nothing happening.
"I'm going through opponent options, an there's nothing really there at the minute. That's nothing that's exciting me.
"They should have just kept the ball rolling.
"I mean, why are they pushing [Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje] back to September?
"You know what's going to happen in September, something else is going to happen in September, and that's not going to happen.
"I laid out a plan and a method that was the right move, the right methods to go with.
"And they always want to balk at that and not make it happen or just drag it on.
"Whatever I say, they want to go against it to show some kind of power.
"They should have just done the fight - me and Justin for the interim title - and kept the ball rolling."
Fans reacted with shock at the news, which comes amid his future in the UFC being up-in-the-air amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The MMA icon has not fought since destroying Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone in January - where he secured a brutal first-round TKO win.
It will be tough to pay McGregor the money he demands with nobody allowed to attend shows for the foreseeable future.
This means all pay-per-views are behind-closed-doors, and with no gate receipts, there is no incentive for him to fight.
Thousands of fans swarmed to social media in shock of the announcement - which is the THIRD time he has retired.
In April 2016 he announced he was quitting with a now-famous tweet, saying: "Thanks for the cheese."
And he also said he was having up the gloves after losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018.
As a result, this latest instalment of his dramatic career was met with much disdain, with many not believing his time in the Octagon was over.
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One wrote: “If I had a dollar for everytime I’ve heard you say that lmao.”
Another said: “Hmmm , should we believe this time?”
A fellow fan responded: “Heard that before.”
As another asked: “Is this the 5th or 6th time you’ve retired now?”
UFC chief Dana White reacted to the news during the post-fight press conference of Amanda Nunes win over Felicia Spencer.
He said: "The amount of people I have gunning for me right now is insane.
"You don't have to fight. If these guys want to sit out and retire.
"If that's what Conor McGregor, Jon Jones and Jorge Masvidal are feeling right now. I feel you on a certain level. I understand it."
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Meanwhile, several others blasted him for trying to take the limelight off a superb UFC 250 event.
One said: “Yeah, you decided to tweet this out right as #UFC250 ended. Couldn't see the spotlight on that awesome event and fabulous performances, could you?!”
As another wrote: “Uh oh... there was an awesome card tonight and he’s got to come in and get his little attention.”
He has recently been vocal about wanting a rematch with long-term foe and lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
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He had also recently accepted the challenge to face UFC legend Anderson Silva in a super fight - which makes his retirement announcement even more confusing.
But if this really is the end of the road for Notorious, then he bows out with a career record of 22-4.
However, he has done this before and then performed a U-turn to mount a comeback.
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Meanwhile fellow fighter and his potential next opponent Justin Gaethje took a dig at McGregor on Twitter in reference to the time the Notorious punched an elderly man in a Dublin pub.
Gaethje wrote: "Thankfully all of the elderly are still hiding in their homes.
"This guy is on another bender #propers*** #ByeFelicia. Great fights tonight Cody No love with the performance of the night."
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