The Irony In Conor McGregor's Supposed Retirement Is That It May Not End Up Being His Choice

I have decided to retire young.
Thanks for the cheese.
Catch ya's later.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 19, 2016

Source: Conor McGregor wants approx $10M for #UFC200--more than anyone else in past for single fight. #UFC said no, so he retired.

— Charly Arnolt (@CharlyArnolt) April 19, 2016

BREAKING NEWS: UFC pulls @TheNotoriousMMA from #UFC200. @danawhite on @SportsCenter now.

— UFC (@ufc) April 19, 2016

Wait, so you mean a budding star in the MMA community didn't just retire at the height of his popularity for no reason? You trying to tell me that there were extenuating circumstances surrounding his decision to "walk away" from the sport? I gotta say, I didn't see this one coming. A humble, selfless athlete like Conor McGregor making a stink over finances? That doesn't sound right. I always got the impression that the money was just a bonus to him. That he would step in the octagon for free if that's what it took to participate in mixed martial arts. Now he's demanding the single biggest payday in UFC history? That seems like a pretty brash, egocentric move for the modest, model employee that I know.

I am not going to sit here and pretend I know all that much about the UFC, but I do know that trying to play hardball with Dana White is a losing proposition. Conor McGregor may think he is worth $10 million a fight. He may think he is imperative to the success of the company. You know who else was imperative to the success of the UFC? Jon Jones...until he wasn't. George St. Pierre...until he wasn't. Ronda Rousey...until she wasn't. Holly Holm...until she wasn't. Conor McGregor is undoubtedly a star, but he's not an irreplaceable star. Hell, he's a star that's coming off a match in which he got the life choked out of his lungs. Pretty strange time to start making ultimatums if you ask me. The fact of the matter is that the business model that Dana White has created is dependent on no man or woman. The UFC has continued to grow despite Ronda Rousey getting roundhouse kicked into a new career path. The ratings will continue to blossom even if Conor McGregor decides to leave UFC with the lasting image of him napping in front of the nation. This may come as a surprise, but Conor McGregor is not actually as important as he - himself - would lead you to believe. His retirement may have been a ploy to get more money, but I wouldn't put it past someone like Dana White to spitefully turn that retirement into a reality - whether Conor likes it or not. 


P.S. There are definitely better ways to say goodbye...