Despite having previously announced his MMA retirement on three occasions, Conor McGregor says he plans to compete in the sport for life.
The bold claim is one of many “The Notorious” has made in the lead up to his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier on Saturday. McGregor has taken to his fight week media obligations with all guns a blazing, promising to “without question” KO Poirier and announcing big plans for a clash with lightweight champ Charles Oliveira.
While “The Notorious” isn’t one to follow anyone’s lead, in particular Nate Diaz, his intention to fight indefinitely seems to echo that of his former rival, who last month said he doesn’t “plan on retiring ever” from MMA.
However, McGregor’s anti-retirement plan seems almost certain to hinge on the outcome of his bout with Poirier. Many have speculated that if he were to lose, it may be McGregor’s last fight.
Given the former champ-champ’s history of backflipping on retirement plans, we can only take his statement with a grain of salt. In June last year, the Irishman announced his MMA retirement on Twitter for a third time, having previously done so in 2019 and 2016.
McGregor Vows To Fight Until He’s “332” Years Old
In an interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, McGregor said that retirement simply isn’t on the cards. Taking inspiration from the recent comeback of Mike Tyson, the 32-year-old says he plans to fight into a ripe old age.
“[Until I’m] 332 [years old], said McGregor when asked how long he plans to continue fighting. “I’m doing this until the day I go out. If you look at Tyson, Tyson came back and had a phenomenal performance against Roy Jones Jr. And it was great to see Tyson come back like that. It was great to see Roy as well.
“I was very impressed with the performance. People walk away from the sport, it’s not like your physical body lets you down. It’s just the mental fatigue of it all. Tyson said a quote that, ‘What would Cus D’Mato say to you now now that you’re coming back? He said, ‘What took you so long?’ And I agree with that. I’m gonna keep going, and that’s it. You’ll never get rid of me. This game is mine. This city Las Vegas is mine. This world is mine. Saturday night, I’m gonna show that.”
What do you think? Win or lose, will we see Conor McGregor fight well beyond his bout with Dustin Poirier?
