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Earlier this month, Conor McGregor posted what seemed to be a farewell message on his Twitter profile. The Irishman stated that he would "never forget" MMA and said it was "easy work."
However, despite this cryptic retirement message, the former two-weight UFC champion has continued to comment on recent UFC bouts and fighters, often calling for fights during events.
No official retirement announcement has been made or confirmed via the UFC, so the tweets seem like another one of McGregor's many publicity stunts.
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As mentioned, Conor McGregor has continually hinted at a return to the octagon, most recently listing the UFC champions associated with Paradigm, the management agency that McGregor is linked to.
The Irishman was seemingly suggesting he could join that list of Paradigm champs soon.
"So we’ve got the 170lb Jamaican British Leon. We’ve got the 185lb Nigerian New Zealander, The Stylebender Izzy, and we’ve got the Czech Samurai, Jiří Procházka. Gis a bell I’ll be out at sea for the next what, 40 seconds then I’m back. Quick rip. Call me anytime - Heavy shoulders"
It's become very tough to know when Conor McGregor is being genuine in both his retirement talks and future opponents. It would seem logical to suggest that he will return to the UFC at some point.
Does Charles Oliveira want to face Conor McGregor for the UFC lightweight title?
While speaking in a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Charles Oliveira revealed that he wants to put the UFC lightweight title on the line against Conor McGregor if he beats Islam Makhachev at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi for the vacant belt.
Oliveira said that he would like to fight McGregor in Brazil. He also went on to say that the only reason he agreed to fight Makhachev was to get closer to a bout with the Irishman:
"I like the narrative. It would be perfect. We've been asking for this fight in Brazil so hopefully it works out."
When asked if he truly believes he will face McGregor next year, the Brazilian stated:
"I really do. That's the sole reason why I accepted this fight [with Makhachev]."
Watch the ESPN interview clip below:
Conor McGregor has failed to win in his last two UFC outings, losing both bouts against Dustin Poirier. He did manage to pick up a much-needed win against the now-retired Donald Cerrone in 2020.
Oliveira, meanwhile, has been on an incredible run in the UFC lightweight division, winning his last 11 fights.
