【】

UFC superstar Conor McGregor's next fight is scheduled for July 9. The Irish mixed martial arts master is supposed to take on Nate Diaz, who last month dealt McGregor his first pro loss in six years. 

But will the fight actually happen? No one seems to know after McGregor posted a cryptic tweet Tuesday in which he said he's "decided to retire young." 

The post predictably sent ripples throughout the MMA world, gathering more than 110,000 retweets in less than five hours. 

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

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 19, 2016

McGregor's tweet came out of nowhere. Neither he nor his camp had offered any context or additional information at the time of this writing. 

Just one day prior, McGregor had posted a tweet alluding to training for his upcoming rematch with Diaz, as well as one commemorating his first big win. 

Back in the land of Ice for some good training at Mjolnir!! #TheIceViking pic.twitter.com/zXKy3vN6Qv

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 18, 2016

My first World Title. July 2012.
Nothing in my pocket but holes. pic.twitter.com/RnenUcOEVm

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 18, 2016

So what gives? UFC did not immediately respond to Mashable's request for comment. Like we said, there's been no movement from McGregor's side either. 

McGregor has cultivated a persona as a troll who loves to antagonize opponents, fans, media and the world at large. Is he just messing around here? Is he trying to leverage a bigger payday from the fight? 

There's also another possibility. Last week, an MMA fighter named Joao Carvalho died two days after a getting badly beaten in a fight. The fight was in Dublin, Ireland, where McGregor is from, and McGregor had been watching ringside. He addressed Carvalho's death in a heartfelt Facebook post last Tuesday. 

"To see a young man doing what he loves, competing for a chance at a better life, and then to have it taken away is truly heartbreaking," McGregor wrote. "We are just men and women doing something we love in the hope of a better life for ourselves and our families. Nobody involved in combat sports of any kind wants to see this. It is such a rare occurrence that I don't know how to take this."

Carvalho's death came just weeks after McGregor was choked out by Diaz, suffering his first loss in years and perhaps getting a frightening reminder of his own mortality as well. Here's a shot of Diaz celebrating, his face covered in blood, after beating McGregor. 

A bloody shocker. #NateDiaz wins #UFC196 pic.twitter.com/jI2UqZqVCD

— Getty Images Sport (@GettySport) March 6, 2016

That's the guy who won the fight. 

So, to recap, we're talking about a sport in which the victors emerge covered in blood, the losers often get choked out and recently one young man lost his life after losing a fight. 

Maybe McGregor is just trolling here. Maybe he's holding out for a bigger payday. But if he is for real -- can you really blame him? 

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

最新评论