Conor McGregor's six-word remark hints at fighting retirement after making $200M fortune
Former UFC champion Conor McGregor has hinted at possibility retiring from fighting altogether, with the MMA star having been asked about his plans for the future
UFC star Conor McGregor has delivered a cryptic update on his fighting future.
The former two-weight UFC champion has been out of action since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. McGregor was scheduled to make his long-awaited comeback against Michael Chandler last June but the Irishman suffered an injury in sparring.
Despite his time away from the UFC octagon, McGregor has continued to make headlines. The 36-year-old shocked fans by meeting President Donald Trump at the White House earlier this month, and has expressed an increasing desire to get involved in Irish politics.
McGregor still has two fights left on his UFC deal but feels that his future may lie away from MMA. “I’m happy with what I’ve done,” McGregor explained when asked about his fighting career, hinting at a possible retirement.
“There’s something else for me that’s in my gut right now and that’s kind of where I’m going. So we’ll see, greatness doesn't rush. And right now Ireland is in my thoughts and that’s where I’m at.”
McGregor, who is co-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, issued an update during BKFC70. “I’ve got two fights on the [UFC] contract, I’m in negotiations,” he said. “Last week something happened to me. I went to The White House and my country is… my heart bleeds for my country right now. So there’s a lot of stuff going on back home."
President Trump agreeing to meet McGregor sparked controversy. In November 2024, a civil court jury found that McGregor had assaulted Nikita Hand. McGregor was ordered to pay more than $268,000 (€248,000) in damages.
While McGregor has outlined his intention to appeal the verdict, he has kept busy by focusing on his business interests, including his various alcohol brands and music label. Earlier this year, when asked about possible fight dates for McGregor, UFC president Dana White said: "Conor? I'm not sure when Conor will be back.”
McGregor is believed to have made more than $200 million during his MMA career. That total does not include his headline-grabbing crossover boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather in 2017, which is rumored to have earned him $100 million.
Despite McGregor’s prolonged time away from the octagon arguably impacting the clamor to see him return, he admitted to having received an intriguing offer from Saudi Arabian adviser Turki Al-Sheikh, who has become an influential figure in boxing.
“There was an opportunity or a deal, we’ll say, to fight in Alcatraz only recent,” McGregor told Bloody Elbow. “There’s an event going on in Alcatraz in, I believe, June. They came to me and it wasn’t my worth.
“As a fighter we’ve got to know our worth. I hold every pay-per-view record in the book, I hold every gate record in the book and my comeback will be slated as the greatest or the biggest, most anticipated comeback of all time.
“So it has to be right. Right now, Ireland is in my thoughts and that’s where I am, but it will happen, I am sure and it’s always great to be here at BKFC.”