UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor (Photo : Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Conor McGregor shocked the entire MMA community after announcing retirement on Twitter Tuesday. Although it remains unclear if he's telling the truth or just trolling, there are already reports confirming that the Fighting Irishman isn't bluffing at all.
UFC president Dana White confirmed on ESPN Sportcenter that he has already pulled McGregor from his rematch with Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 200 after the Notorious insisted not to show up on some of the promotional events mandated by the UFC. White added that he's already working a new headliner for the biggest combat sports event in July, without his most bankable male fighter.
There are speculations McGregor felt disappointment after being pulled out from UFC 200 to the point of giving up MMA at the height of his career. Then again, there's another rumor flying around and it's about WWE's role in McGregor's early retirement.
With WWE struggling to groom Roman Reigns into the promotion's next franchise player, Vince McMahon has reportedly stepped up to find a worthy bearer of that title outside his current roster. McGregor apparently is the right man for the job, having built a reputation as an entertaining fighter either in the pressroom or inside the octagon.
McGregor's catchy one-liner and showboating antics has made him a main stream darling. He turned into a walking cash cow for UFC in the last one and half year. His latest stint inside the octagon at UFC 196 proved McGregor's massive drawing floor as it shattered gate attendance records and racked up millions in PPV sales (the second biggest PPV event with 1.5M buys). And despite his 2nd round TKO loss to Diaz, there's no indication McGregor's rise to fame is slowing down.
Having said all of that, McGregor no doubt is the one WWE is looking for all this time, a mainstream sensation capable of carrying the entire company on his shoulder.
On the other hand, there are questions that need to be answered. Why would McGregor quit a sport that is paying him $10-$15 million per fight for a wrestling promotion whose top-earner (John Cena) is getting $10 million annually? Why would he give up now when he's in position to become the most bankable MMA fighter ever? Apparently, only McGregor could answer that.
