Conor McGregor last night announced that he is retiring from MMA, the same day an appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show" aired, in which he said that he was working on a return to the UFC octagon later this year. UFC President Dana White in a statement said McGregor's move "totally makes sense." This marked the "second time that McGregor had announced on Twitter that he was leaving the sport," with the first retirement lasting a "matter of days." McGregor's tweet and White's statement "could well be tactical moves in a high-stakes game in which the winner gets to decide what happens next" (REUTERS, 3/26).
McGregor during his “Tonight Show” appearance said, “We're in talks for July, so we'll see what happens. A lot of politics are going on. The fight game is a mad game, but again like I said, and to my fans, I am in shape and I am ready.” McGregor later said he has “done my piece for the company” and added, “I don't necessarily need to fight. I'm set for life. My family is set for life. We are good, but I am eager to fight” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 3/25).
