It was only a matter of time until someone from Conor McGregor’s past confronted him following his latest exit from the UFC.
This past weekend at UFC 250, Amanda Nunes beat Felicia Spencer in a one-sided affair to retain the UFC Featherweight Title. She became the first UFC fighter to defend two belts while still holding onto them. That wasn’t what everyone would be talking about by the end of the night, however. McGregor posted on Twitter right after the event his retirement from MMA.
The third time he has retired from MMA, the timing could not have been better for McGregor. He was looking for a title opportunity, at least against interim Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje. At a time when multiple fighters are negotiating deals, McGregor is either doing that or sticking true to his statement that he is bored. Regardless, McGregor posted on Instagram a “Happy Retirement” cake. Looking to take advantage of the moment, Floyd Mayweather commented on the post, stating:
“If I’m not mistaken, didn’t you tell Mike Tyson you could beat me if we fought a second time? Now you’re quitting! I thought you wanted to beat the best? Well, if you decide to come back, I will be waiting to punish you again.”
McGregor and Mayweather fought in a boxing match in 2017, something that was considered a true spectacle. Although he lost via tenth-round TKO, McGregor made over $100 million for the fight. He has been teasing a rematch for a while now, even if Mayweather has stated he is happy to stay retired. The only way he would return to action is if the price was right for exhibition bouts.
Regarding the comment above, Mayweather is referring to when McGregor praised comments made by Mike Tyson about him. The tweet included McGregor calling Mayweather out by name.
“Thank you Mike, and just know that for the inevitable rematch, with the knowledge I now hold of Floyd’s style, plus under the tutelage of my old school boxing coach, I will crack the puzzle, and I will beat Floyd. I promise my life on it. It is great to see you back Iron Mike.”
Besides Mayweather, McGregor has been looking into a fight with Manny Pacquiao. His goal is to be a boxing champion in a sport he hasn’t competed in since the Mayweather bout.
Will anything come from Mayweather’s comment?