Conor McGregor opened up about retirement last week, and it sounds like the UFC lightweight champion has no plans to walk away from combat sports anytime soon.
McGregor explained on Ireland’s “The Late Late Show” that he doesn’t have a time, date or age in mind for his eventual retirement and that he’ll instead base his decision on how much damage he suffers while fighting. To this point, according to McGregor, he’s only been “wobbled” once and therefore sees no reason to consider retirement at age 29 despite how much money he’s already earned.
“The only time I was ever wobbled once in a contest was in the (Nate) Diaz 1 fight,” McGregor said. “And that’s it. It’s the only heavy shot I’ve taken, and I’ve been able to climb.
“I’m very young in the game. Although I’ve climbed to the top, I’m still very young from a damage-taking standpoint, so I will continue to grow and see where it goes.”
Perhaps this was the blow?
McGregor owns a 21-3 career mixed martial arts record, with all three losses coming via submission, including his first fight against Diaz at UFC 196 in March 2016. So it’s certainly possible he hasn’t absorbed any damaging blows beyond the Diaz bout, which ended in the second round when Diaz put McGregor in a rear-naked choke.
This obviously bodes well for McGregor’s future, both in competition and in life. But we still don’t know when McGregor will return to action, although there’s no shortage of options.
“I have multiple world titles in the UFC. I have multiple contenders that are clawing at the top trying to get at me,” McGregor said. “So we’re in negotiation stages and we will see where we go. I will most certainly compete again for the next couple of years anyway and then I’ll see where it is.”
Both McGregor and UFC president Dana White have pointed to Tony Ferguson as a possible next opponent. And there evidently will be a “next opponent” now that McGregor officially has squashed any talk of retirement.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
