Sport

‘What’s going on here? Time for a Union’

The twitter reaction to Conor McGregor’s early retirement following UFC dispute

Conor McGregor: “I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya’s later.” Photograph: Getty Images
Conor McGregor: “I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya’s later.” Photograph: Getty Images
Wed Apr 20 2016 - 09:08

On Tuesday night Conor McGregor rocked social media by announcing that he would be taking an early retirement. After hours of speculation UFC chief Dana White finally came out to add some substance to what had initially been believed to be a hoax - explaining that the featherweight champion had been pulled from UFC 200 after failing to leave his training camp in Iceland to come to Las Vegas and promote the show.

“Is Conor McGregor retiring? Only he can answer that question. I don’t know,” White said. “But Conor McGregor is not fighting at UFC 200.

Shocked fans and fighters from all levels of the UFC have been weighing in with their views on twitter - with many believing that the Irish man’s actions may well set the tone for the creation of a fighter’s union.

McGregor's Brazilian featherweight rival Jose Aldo has in the past led calls for a UFC fighter's union, with topics such as minimum pay and health insurance being ongoing concerns for many fighters.