Conor McGregor is not considering retiring as doubts continue over his UFC return.
The Notorious has not had a UFC fight since losing to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. The defeat took his record to three losses out of his last four UFC bouts. He suffered a broken leg, which has kept him out since then. His next fight has been in the talking for some time. Ever since McGregor took on Michael Chandler in the TUF 31 series, a fight had been teased.
Recently, Conor McGregor announced it was ‘all systems go’ for a fight in the summer. Chandler also responded, stating he had ‘confirmation’ over the fight as fans wait for an official announcement. With two fights still left on his UFC deal, Dana White has not come out with a fight date, leaving McGregor’s future uncertain. But the Irishman has no plans on retiring. He referenced Mike Tyson’s comeback against Jake Paul, showing that it is never too late to fight.
Conor McGregor On Retirement
“I’m aware that [pressure of life] is present, that feeling and that thing, whatever it is. But I’m also aware that rest, recuperation, recalibration — I’m not going to be 40-odd and looking at the 19-year-old wonder kid wherever he’s from, even though they might be calling me out. Look at all my potential opponents I have.
“I have gangs of opponents, literally, that I have history with — trilogies, secondary fights, fresh fights even. These are all similar age to me. So if these people are similar age to me, and I have an audience’s interest, which I do, who’s to say these fights won’t take place whenever they’ll take place? Do you get me? It’s to the grave, my man,” McGregor said
Conor McGregor defended criticism over his activities outside the Octagon, which have been blamed for his delayed return. White referenced McGregor’s acting debut in ‘Road House’, which required extensive media obligations.
The CEO of the UFC also wanted the fighter to complete a full training camp before he returned to the Octagon. Doubts increased over whether that would happen when McGregor said he was open to further acting roles. Although that may be the case, McGregor has backtracted on those comments since then. His focus appears fully on getting back in a UFC fight.
Conor McGregor On Acting
“I can get anything I want, I can do anything I want. To even that alone, can cause people to lose themselves. So you know, it’s just about keeping levelheaded, getting your training in. I think right, and I’m only thinking about this movie business and I said to the director the other day. I feel like I could actually play any role on planet Earth, because I feel my life is so far removed from reality.
“Nobody knows me, nobody really knows me. They have assumptions of me. But nobody really knows me, and that is in my favor. I feel like I could play any role. People are saying I look different every day, every time people see me I look different. If that was somewhere I wanted to go, I could fancy it. But, I don’t actually fancy it. That’s the thing. I’m not really into it, to be honest. It’s a bit weird to me. Just get me back in that octagon,” Conor McGregor stated