UFC has never seen the kind of star power that ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor brought forth. The megastar not only carried the aura of a superstar but also had the power to put people away. Moreover, his marquee victories over Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez turned him into MMA’s first double champion. It took his star power to a never-before-seen level in MMA.
Naturally, UFC Head Dana White and the team also capitalized on and co-promoted a boxing money fight against Floyd Mayweather, which proved a PPV success. Ever since that mega-fight, the life of the Irish superstar has changed completely. Now, 7 years later, his net worth has improved by hundreds of millions, but his fighting career has not. It is something the 36-year-old has come to terms with.
‘The Notorious’ responded to a fan’s post on X urging the star to retire as he has nothing left to prove. It seems like the MMA star was in complete agreement. He offered his reaction to the post by hinting at his retirement from the sport with an unceremonious final goodbye. The tweet has brought out a wide array of reactions online.
Ya know what, you’re right, good bye. https://t.co/xB8uyh89iK
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 28, 2024
did Conor McGregor just retire???? pic.twitter.com/i0wKruk6QW
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) October 28, 2024
It isn’t sure whether this is a legitimate retirement call, as the Irish star has pulled a similar move many times before. On the flip side, Dana White seems quite confident about the star’s return in 2025. Contrarily, McGregor has also called for a clash with Dan Hooker. But nothing has been announced and Chael Sonnen seems to have a theory on why McGregor’s return is delayed.
Chael Sonnen believes Conor McGregor’s return boils down to Dana White’s approval
The Irish mixed martial artist is facing a bit of an unlucky streak with injuries. The UFC icon first broke his leg in a trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier in 2021. The gruesome nature of the injury nearly ended his career, and he hasn’t fought ever since. Adding insult to injury, he was supposed to make a return against Michael Chandler early in the year, which was canned because of a toe injury.
The UFC icon believed that McGregor was actually poking fun at Michael Chandler at this point. Chandler, who has been waiting on the sidelines for 2 years, was forced to take another fight. Moreover, Sonnen doubled down on yet another angle, stating that UFC head and Conor McGregor aren’t on the same page, which has delayed the fight even more.
If Conor McGregor wanted to fight again, he could. But Dana has put forth one stipulation on it, and he means it quite literally. Conor needs to call me and tell me he wants to fight. He is telling all of us he would like to fight. He is simply not sending a text message to Dana White, that’s simply the truth.
Chael Sonnen via Exclusive Interview for The PBD Podcast
It is still unclear who would be the opponent of the ‘Notorious’ star, although he indeed showcased interest in fighting Dan Hooker. So far, no official announcement has been made, and with the latest post on X, it seems like UFC has lost its PPV star.
