Written by Des Bieler at Washington Post.com
While MMA fans were still trying to figure out if Conor McGregor was serious about retiring, UFC president Dana White provided more concrete — and disappointing — news Tuesday. The Irish fighter was off the card for July’s UFC 200, leaving co-headliner Nate Diaz to fight another opponent. White indicated that he had been effectively forced into that decision when McGregor refused to interrupt training in Iceland and go to Las Vegas for promotional responsibilities, but it seems like there is an underlying factor in this vexing story, one about which neither side is talking.
This is all about money, right?
The time-honored adage, “The answer to all your questions is money,” very much seems to apply here. Certainly, the events of Tuesday left observers with many questions, including:
- Why did McGregor retire so abruptly, while in the midst of training for a huge fight that could provide him with revenge for a high-profile loss in which he was compelled to tap out?
- Why did he announce his retirement in such terse, cryptic, distant fashion? (A tweet stating, “I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya’s later.”)
- If McGregor was so intent on training for the fight, why would he do anything to put his place on the card in jeopardy?
- Why would the legendary trash-talker, who has attained superstardom as much for his mouth as for his striking skills, ever avoid the opportunity to dominate a press conference?
- If he really did retire, why didn’t White just point to that, instead of saying that McGregor was being punished for a dereliction of duty?
Here is what White told ESPN, when announcing that McGregor was off the card:
“Conor did not want to come to Las Vegas and film the commercial, or be a part of any marketing we have,” White told ESPN. “He’s in Iceland training, and that’s not possible. … He felt leaving right now would hurt his training, and getting ready for this fight.”
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