Conor McGregor retiring the day before the details of a sexual assault investigation became news is apparently nothing to worry about; at least according to his legal team.
Regarding Conor McGregor, there’s a suspicion in timing, in that he called his retirement a day before allegations of sexual assault. According to The Guardian, “…the former UFC champion was arrested in January after a woman said he sexually assaulted her in Dublin in December. McGregor has not been charged over the allegations but sources told the Times he is still under investigation by Irish police. The alleged assault is said to have taken place at the Beacon Hotel, where McGregor is believed to occasionally stay on visits to Ireland. The hotel is a 25-minute drive from Crumlin, where McGregor grew up.”
#ConorMcGregor faces allegations of sexual assault. Also striking: Ireland’s reporting laws. Thoughts?
“Laws in Ireland restrict the news media from identifying individuals charged with rape unless they are convicted, which has not happened in this case.”https://t.co/OHHtTPyfVp
— Morgan Radford (@MorganRadford) March 26, 2019
While it’s not the first time that McGregor has announced his retirement on social media (see below), he’s also had numerous scrapes with the law – he avoided jail over his involvement in a melee after a news conference for the UFC 223 event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, and he was arrested in Florida on suspicion of stealing the phone of someone who was trying to snap an image of him.
📅 April 2016:
🇮🇪 @TheNotoriousMMA announces his retirement.📅 August 2016:
👊 Comes out of retirement to fight @NateDiaz209.📅 March 2019:
🇮🇪 @TheNotoriousMMA announces his retirement.🗣 @TheNotoriousMMA: “I don’t necessarily need to fight. I am set for life.” pic.twitter.com/5lSLD02Xy2
— SPORF (@Sporf) March 26, 2019
This seems slightly different. On Monday, McGregor appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s show but didn’t hint at retirement, or indeed, the presence of external factors. McGregor said: “I am set for life, my family is set for life … we are good. But I am eager to fight, we will see what happens, I’m just staying ready.”
So Conor McGregor is “retiring” (again).
Lads, he was on Jimmy Fallon last night saying he was “in talks” for a fight in July.
Come on now… pic.twitter.com/sxzgQGgd7V
— Richard Chambers (@newschambers) March 26, 2019
There’s a lot we’re unsure of. According to Karen Kessler, a spokesperson for McGregor’s legal team, one has nothing to do with the other, “…this story has been circulating for some time and it is unclear why it is being reported now…the assumption that the Conor retirement announcement today is related to this rumour is absolutely false. Should Conor fight in the future it must be in an environment where fighters are respected for their value, their skill, their hard work and their dedication to the sport.”
