Conor McGregor’s retirement tweet may very well be exactly what it seems like on the surface, and there are now reports that the UFC Featherweight Champion will no longer be headlining UFC 200 on July 9.
McGregor hasn’t followed up himself since sending the following tweet Tuesday afternoon:
I have decided to retire young.
Thanks for the cheese.
Catch ya’s later.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 19, 2016
However, while there’s been scrambling to find out whether it was simply a negotiating ploy or a joke, several reporters are citing sources that state McGregor is out of their planned landmark event.
Hearing McGregor is out of #ufc200 for real. Unreal….
— Spencer Lazara (@SpencerLazara) April 19, 2016
Reasons still unclear, but 4 hours later, multiple sources maintaining McGregor’s tweet is real. UFC working on next step(s) at this time.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 19, 2016
Info I’m gathering has me really believing McGregor won’t fight at UFC 200. Still don’t see him never fighting again but 200 …
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) April 19, 2016
Yep mcgregor is 100% out. #UFC is scrambling to find a new main for #ufc200 Jones/Cormier, maybe Nate/Lawler? We’ll see where the chips fall
— Spencer Lazara (@SpencerLazara) April 19, 2016
The UFC has yet to make any statement regarding McGregor’s tweet or a new direction for UFC 200, but if the sources feeding information to these reporters are correct, the organization’s summer plans are in peril.
Penick’s Analysis: It’s hard to make declarations here, but Lazara’s a plugged in guy in Las Vegas with MMAInterviews.tv, and it will not be surprising in the least if his report is accurate. If that’s the case, it’s more than a negotiating ploy, and though it’s hard to imagine a star of McGregor’s level walking away at this point in their respective career, it’s entirely possible that’s just what he’s doing. I have a hard time imagining he stays retired if he does, indeed, walk away, but if that’s what he’s doing hopefully we’ll get some type of further explanation to help understand the decision. The UFC has to be having a fairly terrible day at the moment.
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