In a lengthy Facebook post, Conor McGregor confirmed that he's not yet retired and even explained why he decided to ignore the UFC's press requirements. But, despite this, the UFC is standing by its decision in pulling him out of UFC 200.
Earlier this week, McGregor tweeted that he is retiring early. But apparently, this is not true and he only made the tweet as a form of protest regarding the UFC's requirements when it comes to promoting upcoming fights.
"I am paid to fight," he posted. "I am not yet paid to promote. I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting. There comes a time when you need to stop handing out flyers and get back to the d*** shop."
"50 world tours, 200 press conferences, 1 million interviews, 2 million photo shoots, and at the end of it all I'm left looking down the barrel of a lens, staring defeat in the face, thinking of nothing but my incorrect fight preparation," he added.
However, because McGregor refused to fly out from Iceland, where he is currently training, to attend a press event for UFC 200 in Las Vegas, Dana White decided to take him out of the fight card. McGregor was supposed to take on Nate Diaz to possibly avenge his loss at UFC 196.
Although the UFC might have sounded like a strict corporate entity from the perspective of McGregor, a report from TMZ revealed that the company was willing to do everything that it can to make his appearance in Las Vegas.
This includes flying McGregor in a private jet and shipping out all of his training and gym equipment from Iceland to Las Vegas to avoid disrupting his regimen. Despite the UFC's offer, McGregor still decided to skip the event, leaving the company with no other choice but to reprimand him by taking away his UFC 200 opportunity.
As for Diaz, the UFC has not yet decided who will take McGregor's spot as his opponent. But, according to rumors, the company is considering either Jose Aldo or Frankie Edgar to headline the upcoming event.
