The Shady Side Of Conor McGregor

Professional fighters love to retire. The thing about fighting for a living is, it's really hard. And even an iconic performance might put you in the hospital with your face swelled up like a dang alien. So, fighters call it quits a lot. Sometimes it's over a devastating loss. Sometimes after an ecstatic win. Sometimes it's just a negotiation ploy during a heated contract dispute. Honestly, sometimes they're just cranky, and cutting weight is brutal, "So screw it, I'm done!" they say, only to slink back months later. Because when it comes down to it, beating up people for cash is a thrill that's hard to replicate.

In April of 2016, Conor McGregor announced his first of three — thus far anyway — MMA retirements, "I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya's later," he wrote via Twitter. Four months later, he was back in the cage. 

This particular "retirement" was a blend of the tough loss variety with a sprinkle of negotiation. McGregor had just lost via second-round submission in a shocking upset to the legendary pride of Stockton, Nate Diaz. The tweet came amid rematch negotiations with Diaz pushing for more of the pie. According to ESPN, McGregor eventually narrowly won the second bout, earning $3 million, the largest ever disclosed UFC payday, with a much bigger chunk coming by way of undisclosed pay-per-view bonuses. Sometimes, quitting pays.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7XCpKCsr5mbwW%2BvzqZma2pgZ4Z1e9OhnGarmJaxunnSopueZZ%2BbeqS7zaipZqWTnL%2Bms86rZg%3D%3D