Conor McGregor, one of Ultimate Fighting Championship’s biggest stars, announced his retirement early Tuesday shortly before news broke that he’d been accused and arrested for sexual assaulting a woman in his native Ireland back in January.
As of this writing, McGregor has not been officially charged. According to the New York Times, formal charges don’t always come after an arrest in Ireland and Europe. McGregor was released after questioning.
Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as “Mixed Martial Art” today.
I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition.
I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement.
Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 26, 2019
McGregor’s lawyer in Dublin did not respond to the NYT’s requests for comment.
McGregor has as many boxing matches as UFC fights under his belt since 2016. His last MMA bout was a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov back in October, a fight marred by a violent ending that spilled out into the crowd.
According to the Times, the woman accusing McGregor said the alleged assault happened at the Beacon Hotel in Dublin. Ireland’s Police Service have never mentioned McGregor by name, only referring to an “unnamed sportsman.”
“Investigations are ongoing in this case and at this time a file continues to be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions,” the IPS said in a statement.
Breaking News: Conor McGregor, the mixed martial arts star, is being investigated in Ireland over an accusation of sexual assault. He said he was retiring today. https://t.co/0VDV8FIlLQ
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 26, 2019
McGregor, of course, has retired before only to come back to much fanfare and bankrolls of cash. His publicist, Karen J. Kessler, released a statement of her own, refuting the theory that this “retirement” has come about because of the sexual assault accusation.
“The story has been circulating for some time and it is unclear why it is being reported now,” Kessler stated. “The assumption that the Conor retirement announcement today is related to this rumor is absolutely false.”
While the “story” has been circulating, the fact that it concerned McGregor certainly has not. Ireland (and Europe) have different rules than the United States on what can be released while a case is being investigated and it’s certainly fishy that McGregor hastily retired just a few hours before the New York Times went to press.
For everyone saying this McGregor story is 'old news', this massively misses the point.
The NYT is the most powerful global media outlet & unencumbered by European libel/privacy laws.
The NYT report does not say the investigation took a turn. The visibility of the story did.
— Luke Thomas🏋️♀️ (@lthomasnews) March 26, 2019
If McGregor does remain retired, he ends his career with a a record of 21-4 with 18 wins by knockout.
