Conor McGregor explains his reasons for retiring from UFC: 'The game just does not excite me'

Tony Mogan7 June 2020

Conor McGregor says he has fallen out of love with MMA after announcing his retirement from the sport for a third time.

The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion unexpectedly called time on his career in the early hours of Sunday morning.

In an interview with ESPN, McGregor explained his reasons for his decision, insisting he is ‘bored of the game’, frustrated with the lack of clarity over the options ahead of him with UFC back up and running after a three-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The game just does not excite me, and that's that," McGregor said. "All this waiting around. There's nothing happening. I'm going through opponent options, and there's nothing really there at the minute. There's nothing that's exciting me.”

McGregor returned from a 15-month absence from the octagon in January, beating Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone in 40 seconds in a welterweight contest. The Dubliner had planned to fight three more times in 2020, with a rematch against lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov one objective.

In Pictures | Conor McGregor vs 'Cowboy' Cerrone | 16/01/20

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The 31-year-old had also hoped to fight Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight belt following the American’s impressive win over Tony Ferguson in May but says UFC have failed to ‘keep the ball rolling’.

"They should have just kept the ball rolling. I mean, why are they pushing [Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje] back to September? You know what's going to happen in September, something else is going to happen in September, and that's not going to happen.

"I laid out a plan and a method that was the right move, the right methods to go with. And they always want to baulk at that and not make it happen or just drag it on. Whatever I say, they want to go against it to show some kind of power. They should have just done the fight -- me and Justin for the interim title -- and just kept the ball rolling."

McGregor continuing at welterweight to fight champion Kamaru Usman or Jorge Masvidal has also been discussed while UFC legend Anderson Silva has challenged him to a catchweight fight.

AFP via Getty Images

But the lack of clarity on on a timeline for fights and opponents has played a key role in his decision to walk away.

"I don't know. It's just crazy," McGregor said. "I was cutting to 155, and then because I asked for 155, they wanted to show power and stomp all over me. I don't know why they do this. But it was taken from me and then pushed back. So then I'm thinking I don't want to be cutting if I'm fighting at 170. I have to be careful here. My body has to be correct to the weight. And then the 176 [Silva] talk. I'm just over it, man."

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