Conor McGregor doubts he’ll ever truly retire from fighting.
‘Notorious’ is currently preparing to make a comeback from his three-year injury layoff that began when he broke his leg at UFC 264 in July 2021.
McGregor is the most successful fighter in MMA history, but he still wants to competeCredit: Getty
The 35-year-old doesn’t need to fight again as he’s amassed a £200 million fortune over the years and has just launched a potentially lucrative career as an actor.
However, he is looking forward to facing Michael Chandler this summer before beginning another run at UFC gold after previously winning belts at lightweight and featherweight.
If he’s no longer good enough to compete with the very best, McGregor says he will simply ‘recalibrate his competition’ rather than retire from the sport.
The MMA legend plans to be like Mike Tyson, who is 57 years old and currently preparing to face a man 30 years his junior, Jake Paul, on July 20.
“Look at Mike Tyson now, he’s fighting Jake Paul,” McGregor told TNT Sports. “He fought Roy Jones also. So, there you go, that’s an older guy.
“When he was fighting Roy Jones Jr., something that really stuck out to me was [that Mike Tyson] was asked — Roy Jones, also an aged guy, retired for so long — ‘Why?’ Recalibrate your competition.
“There’s a reason that in jiu-jitsu tournaments there’s like the veteran division and all this. So, I don’t really feel like I could ever call it a day until I’m laid out flat, and that’s it. In a box and going down into the ground – that’s when I’ll call it a day.”
“I’m not going to be 40-odd and looking at the 19-year-old wonder kid from f****** wherever he’s from, even though they might be calling me out.”
‘Notorious’ will return against Chandler, but a loss won’t retire himCredit: @TheNotoriousMMA – Twitter
He wants to be fighting in his 50s like Mike TysonCredit: AFP
McGregor insists there are still exciting fights for him to have with people around his age, and as long as the fans want to see them, he’ll do everything he can to make them happen.
He added: “Look at all my potential opponents I have.
“I have gangs of opponents, literally, that I have history with. Trilogies, secondary fights, fresh fights even. These are all similar ages to me.
“So, if these people are a similar age to me, and I have an audience’s interest, which I do, who’s to say these fights won’t take place whenever they’ll take place? Do you get me? It’s to the grave, my man.
“It’s to the motherf****** grave.”