Conor McGregor has undermined Robbie Lawler’s retirement from mixed martial arts, claiming that the former UFC champion will be ‘back by the end of the year’.
Lawler announced recently that his fight with Niko Price on Saturday (8 July) would be the last bout of his career, and the 41-year-old won the UFC 290 contest in stunning fashion, knocking out Price in 38 seconds.
Lawler, who held the UFC welterweight title from 2014 to 2016, broke down in tears after the fight, as the UFC played a video package in tribute to the American. “Thank you for the years of support,” Lawler said. “I’m blessed, I’m grateful.”
However, it seems that McGregor did not see the romance in the moment, which numerous fans and pundits have labelled a ‘perfect’ ending to Lawler’s 22-year professional career. The former dual-weight champion tweeted, “Back by the end of the year,” in response to an official UFC tweet about Lawler.
Lawler has since reacted to McGregor’s comment, saying with a smile: “Why, does Conor want to fight? That’s a big fight, but no, I’m not really thinking about those things.
“I felt good today, that’s the thing. You never know, but I feel good with everything I accomplished. This is definitely a good way to go out.”
Meanwhile, 34-year-old McGregor has not fought since July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier, and his planned bout with Michael Chandler looks like it may not happen until next year.
McGregor vs Chandler was announced in early February, but the Irishman is still not in the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s testing pool, which means he cannot compete in 2023 – unless he is granted an exemption.
McGregor and Chandler are coaching opposing teams of athletes on the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, a UFC television show, and the American’s team are beating Team McGregor 6-0 after six episodes. McGregor’s frustration at the run of losses boiled over in last week’s episode, as the Irishman shoved Chandler in the face.
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