Conor McGregor announces retirement from MMA
Conor McGregor poses at a press conference for his UFC lightweight title showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo: AFP/Isaac Brekken)
SINGAPORE: Irish mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Conor McGregor has announced his retirement from the sport.
The 30-year-old made the announcement in a tweet on Tuesday (Mar 26), saying that he wished his old colleagues well.
McGregor, whose nickname is The Notorious, was a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight and lightweight champion, but the fighter has had a troubled 12 months in and out of the octagon.
McGregor was arrested earlier this month after the MMA fighter allegedly smashed a fan's phone and walked off with the shattered remains.
READ: MMA fighter McGregor arrested in Florida after fan's phone smashed
Samuel Rabin Jr, a Miami-based attorney representing McGregor, said the fighter was involved in a "minor altercation involving a cellphone" and would cooperate fully with police, the Miami Herald reported.
McGregor was also charged last April with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief, after the police said he attacked a chartered bus in New York carrying UFC fighters. He later pleaded guilty to a reduced disorderly conduct charge.
In 2017, McGregor lost to Floyd Mayweather in his debut boxing match. The Irish fighter also lost to Russia's Khabib Nurmagomedov last October in what would be his final MMA fight.
The Russian fighter's brutal submission victory was followed by fights breaking out in and around the cage, with Nurmagomedov jumping out of the octagon and leaping feet first at McGregor's teammate Dillon Danis.
McGregor leaves MMA with a record of 22 wins in 26 fights.
