Conor McGregor: Ex-UFC champion announces retirement

Conor McGregor (right) is thought to have earned $30m fighting undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather in 2017.

Former two-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor says he has retired from mixed martial arts.

The Irish fighter, 30, announced his decision on social media on Tuesday.

“I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as ‘Mixed Martial Art’ today,” he said.

McGregor’s last fight ended in defeat, when he was beaten by Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018 – the Russian winning the lightweight contest by a fourth-round submission.

The Irishman, a former trainee plumber had established himself as one of the sport’s leading fighters.

And at the peak of his powers he was beaten by Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match in August 2017, earning an estimated $30m (£23m) in the process.

In 2018, McGregor was ordered to have anger management training and perform five days of community service by a court in return for criminal charges being dropped after he had attacked a bus containing rival UFC fighters.

Earlier this month McGregor was arrested in Miami for allegedly smashing a fan’s phone as they tried to take pictures of him.