UFC color commentator and fight analyst Joe Rogan has given his honest take on Conor McGregor’s shocking retirement from fighting.
Moments after the UFC 250 pay-per-view went down in Las Vegas on Saturday night, the former UFC two-division champion announced he is leaving the sport, citing the lack of excitement as the reason behind his decision.
“The game just does not excite me, and that’s that. All this waiting around. There’s nothing happening. I’m going through opponent options, and there’s nothing really there at the minute,” McGregor said in an interview with ESPN.
‘The Notorious’ from Ireland made a phenomenal Octagon comeback earlier this year, knocking out Donald Cerrone just 40 seconds into the first round of their welterweight clash at UFC 246 – his first win in over three years.
Hey guys I’ve decided to retire from fighting.
Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it’s been!
Here is a picture of myself and my mother in Las Vegas post one of my World title wins!
Pick the home of your dreams Mags I love you!
Whatever you desire it’s yours ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Dh4ijsZacZ— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 7, 2020
Not Excited
McGregor has also slammed the UFC for telling him he should wait for the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje lightweight bout instead of booking him against the interim champ for a September fight.
“They should have just kept the ball rolling. I mean, why are they pushing [Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje] back to September?” he said.
“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 balk 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.”
“I’m here watching the fight. I watched the last show — the [Tyron-Woodley-Gilbert Burns] show — I watched the show tonight.”
“I’m just not excited about the game, Ariel. I don’t know if it’s no crowd. I don’t know what it is. There’s just no buzz for me.”
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 7, 2020
Not Buying it
Many fans believe McGregor’s retirement will be short lived as they viewed the decision as potential power play to force the UFC to give him the matchup that he wants.
But for Joe Rogan, McGregor’s announcement was a publicity stunt to steal the spotlight from the fighters, who delivered a spectacular show at the UFC 250 pay-per-view event.
“I don’t buy it [the retirement] for a second. I think Conor McGregor is just trying to get you to talk about him and he just did,” he told ESPN.
“What better way to get people to talk about him when there’s a spectacular fight filled with people dominating. What he did was hijack the whole situation.”
Joe Rogan "Isn't Buying" Conor McGregor's Retirement: Joe Rogan doesn't believe Conor McGregor is truly done with fighting. https://t.co/Y4PAQksfqW https://t.co/w8fN4mpIfM pic.twitter.com/UeDmfe2yLO
— Koulture Vibes (@koulturevibes_) June 8, 2020
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Conor McGregor and YouTube/ The Joe Rogan Experience)