As we covered in the story of Conor McGregor part 3, Conor had now become a two-division UFC champion. Most expected him to defend both of his UFC championships. However, his career would take an unexpected turn when a lucrative boxing opportunity arose. Without further ado, let’s continue our examination of Conor McGregor’s career and life with the story of Conor McGregor part 4.
The Story of Conor McGregor Part 4: Stripped of UFC Featherweight Title
Conor McGregor had decided to fight Eddie Alvarez for the UFC lightweight title instead of defending his UFC featherweight title. This allowed McGregor to become the first undisputed two-division champion in UFC history. The UFC gave McGregor plenty of time to defend his featherweight title. This is understandable, given the Irishman’s massive popularity at the time.
However, the featherweight division had to move forward. Finally, the UFC stripped McGregor of the featherweight title on November 26th, 2016. McGregor’s old foe, Jose Aldo, became the UFC featherweight champion once again due to his promotion from interim champion. Additionally, McGregor decided to take some time for himself and his family due to the birth of his first child in 2017.
McGregor would soon shock the combat sports world with the manner of his return.
The Story of Conor McGregor Part 4: McGregor vs. Mayweather Takes Shape
Despite his status as the UFC lightweight champion, Conor McGregor was more interested in a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. As a result, McGregor used most of his public appearances in early 2017 to call for that lucrative boxing match. This possible match excited many fans, but making it a reality was far from straightforward.
McGregor and Mayweather agreed to terms for the match on June 17th, 2017. The UFC supported McGregor in this process, with UFC president Dana White accompanying McGregor during the Mayweather-McGregor press tour. This is unusual, given White’s refusal to co-promote with other MMA promotions. However, McGregor’s status as an MMA superstar certainly played a part in this support from the UFC.
The fight took place on August 26th, 2017. It was a massive commercial success, with a live gate of $55.4 million and 4.3 million pay-per-view buys in the US. According to McGregor, he earned $100 million from the fight. Mayweather defeated McGregor via TKO in the tenth round. However, despite the loss, the massive financial gain from the fight made it worthwhile for Conor McGregor.
Many questioned whether he would return to MMA at all after the fight. They would soon receive the answer to that question.
The UFC Strips McGregor of the Lightweight Title
Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Al Iaquinta in the main event of UFC 223 on April 7th, 2018. After this, the UFC stripped Conor McGregor of the lightweight title and awarded it to Khabib. This is understandable, given the long period of inactivity from McGregor. In fact, it is likely that many other champions would have been stripped far sooner.
In any case, Conor McGregor had his sights set on reclaiming the UFC lightweight title. McGregor would return to the UFC to challenge Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 on October 6th, 2018. This would be an opportunity for McGregor to add another chapter to his legacy.
Khabib vs. Conor: The Most Popular UFC PPV Event Ever
As one would expect, there was a great deal of excitement about the prospect of McGregor returning to MMA to fight Khabib for the lightweight title. The UFC heavily promoted the event. Additionally, the trash talk between Khabib and McGregor, mostly initiated by McGregor, further fueled fan excitement in the bout. The bout on October 6th would presumably settle the rivalry between the two.
UFC 229 became the most popular UFC pay-per-view event ever, as of the time of this writing. It sold 2.4 million PPV buys. It is not only the most popular UFC PPV, but the most popular PPV in the history of MMA. Khabib largely controlled the contest with his pressure and wrestling.
Eventually, as McGregor tired in the fourth round, Khabib was able to submit him with a neck crank. This win was massive for Khabib’s career. Unfortunately, Khabib jumped into the crowd and attacked Dillon Danis, an associate of McGregor’s. This sparked chaos in the arena as members of Khabib’s team attacked Conor.
Subsequently, Khabib received a nine-month suspension. McGregor received a six-month suspension and had to pay a $50,000 fine. The incident and the loss were significant moments in McGregor’s career. His fans were disappointed, but many were happy that he lost after all the trash talk he had thrown toward Nurmagomedov in the lead-up to the fight.
Either way, Conor McGregor had failed in his attempt to reclaim the UFC lightweight title. The next development in his career would shock the MMA world once again.
Conor McGregor Retires?
The next few months were relatively quiet for Conor McGregor. He trained and awaited the end of his suspension. However, in March 2019, McGregor surprised the MMA world once again. On March 26th, 2019, Conor McGregor announced that he was going to retire on social media. This was a shocking development and many hoped that this wasn’t a genuine retirement.
Dana White, for his part, largely dismissed McGregor’s announcement retirement. White stated that it was a ploy that McGregor was using in an attempt to secure an ownership stake in the UFC. Additionally, White said that the retirement would not last and that he had contacted McGregor regularly. As a result, he expected that Conor McGregor would fight again soon.
Regardless, this was a tactic that McGregor had not used before now. McGregor’s previous tweets indicated that he wanted to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov in a rematch. This, coupled with other factors like McGregor’s long-standing relationship with the UFC, made many skeptical of McGregor’s supposed retirement.
This would not be the end for Conor McGregor’s MMA career. However, it would mark a turning point in his career that continues to affect Conor McGregor to this day.
We Will Continue the Series Soon
Our coverage of the story of Conor McGregor will continue soon. We hope you’ve enjoyed this series. Check back for part 5 of the story of Conor McGregor to ensure that you don’t miss it.