McGregor’s Three Retirements and the Reasons for his returns

Conor McGregor’s career has been full of ups and downs in recent years. The 32-year-old Irishman is the most media fighter in the UFC and partly because of the commotion he is always capable of organizing. This Saturday, at UFC 257, The Notorious leaves the retreat for the third time, although in reality it has never ceased to be present nor has it ceased to appear on all official lists. It was one more goodbye facing the gallery. His three goodbyes have always come the same way: social networks.

He April 19, 2016Just over a month after his third professional loss (first in the UFC), he announced his goodbye on Twitter. His retirement lasted two days, already in the past that time it was corrected on Facebook. At that point he was not as famous as now and his time without fighting was minimal. In March 2016 he lost to Nate Díaz and in August of that year he took revenge. Then came his greatest moment of glory. In November, still in 2016, he beat Eddie Álvarez and became the first simultaneous champion in the history of the UFC. He was champion of the feather, since the defeat against Diaz had been in the welterweight.

Right after that fight, McGregor has spent his longest time away from the Octagon. He did not fight from November 2016 to October 2018. In that impasse he played a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather and it was considered whether to continue active or not. He did so and faced Khabib Nurmagomedov, to whom he lost by submission in the fourth round of their fight. Six months later, again on social networks, he announced a new goodbye with a brief message on Twitter. On that occasion, the time without activity was nine months. He came back because he wanted to be champion again. He knocked out Cerrone in 40 seconds and wanted “continuity.” His intention was to regain the rhythm of before and be inside the cage three or four times a year.

The pandemic made her change her mind and in June 2020, after Amanda Nunes made history by being the first simultaneous champion to defend her two scepters, she announced her goodbye. He took all the lights and did it again for no apparent reason. His return, as happened on the previous occasion, was progressive. He’s hungry for glory, names began to ring and Dustin Poirier’s appeared, who will be his opponent on Saturday. Again for wanting to regain his status is back. He seems determined on his goal, but with The Notorious you never know.