Conor McGregor: ‘I am not retired’

UFC fighter Conor McGregor clarifies that he has not retired.

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UFC fighter Conor McGregor has announced that he has not retired and never considered stepping away from the ring at the age of 27, he announced on Facebook.

It was unclear initially what to make of a cryptic tweet he sent on Tuesday, in which he stated “I have decided to retire young.” After the tweet was sent, UFC president Dana White announced McGregor would be pulled from his UFC 200 fight for failing to appear at a press conference.

McGregor issued the following statement on Facebook:

“I am just trying to do my job and fight here. I am paid to fight. 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 damn shop.

“I am still ready to go for UFC 200. I will offer, like I already did, to fly to New York for the big press conference that was scheduled, and then I will go back into training. With no distractions. If this is not enough or they feel I have not deserved to sit this promotion run out this one time, well then I don’t know what to say. For the record also - For USADA and for the UFC and my contract stipulations - I AM NOT RETIRED.”

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McGregor sent another cryptic tweet after posting the Facebook statement, which some have interpreted as an invitation to the UFC to respond to his stance.

I've got my bills paid. My money made. And the entire game slayed. #YourMove pic.twitter.com/wOgbNgUPVd

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 22, 2016

McGregor was scheduled to fight Nate Diaz at UFC 200 on July 9, a rematch of his loss at UFC 196 earlier this year.