👋 Conor McGregor’s At It Again

How many times can one retire in four years? For McGregor, the answer’s apparently three — and once again, he’s probably working an angle. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider: Conor McGregor has retired (again), and there’s not a soul who believes he’s actually done ... we break down all 22 NBA teams as they prepare for their much-anticipated return ... and we take a look at a wager on whether an NFL team could have a “perfect” season. A lot of important words are being spoken during this remarkable particular window of historical time, in society, in sports, and through various combinations of both. Yet our favored athletic pursuits have never been immune to outbursts that provide little service and offer zero value — a reminder of which was provided in a timely fashion this weekend by Conor McGregor. The Irish mixed martial arts star jumped on social media on Saturday night to share with the world the extraordinary news that he was quitting the sport and retiring from the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Wow! Really?! I mean, wow! [STORY IMAGE 1] McGregor is still, arguably, close to his prime. At 31, he has fought just three times in the last 43 months, and should be relatively fresh. He no longer looks invincible, nor near to it, but he remains the biggest celebrity in MMA and can command more money than any other fighter. So why would he quit? Er, he wouldn’t. At least, that’s what the entire MMA universe took from it, responding with a resounding yawn and a collective upturned eyebrow when McGregor blasted out the following words. “Hey guys I’ve decided to retire from fighting,” he wrote on Twitter. “Thank you for all the amazing memories! What a ride it’s been. Here is a picture of myself and my mother in Las Vegas post one of my World title wins! Pick the home of your dreams (mom), I love you! Whatever you desire it’s yours.” [STORY IMAGE 2]( Let’s hope McGregor keeps his promise … and buys his mother, Margaret, a luxurious house wherever she wants. As for the other bit, about actually stepping away from the Octagon? Don’t hold your breath. For we have seen this from McGregor before, and it rang as hollow then as it does now. Unless the world really has been turned upside down, he’s not leaving a sport that can reward a guy who loves money with tens of millions of dollars for a single night’s work. Not right now. Not when there are fights such as a showdown with Anderson Silva, loser of six of his last seven bouts, on the table. Or even another match with boxer Floyd Mayweather, the first of which earned him a reported nine figures. There was a time when we were minded to heed everything McGregor said. He promised to become champion in two weight divisions, and did so. He vowed to knock out Jose Aldo with a left hook and did that too, in just 13 seconds. But when it comes to retirement, McGregor’s words have counted for nothing. He said he was going in 2016 and didn’t. He said it again in 2019, and that didn’t last, either. [STORY IMAGE 3] Back then, there was a reason to say it, and there is again now. He has sought to use his leverage wherever possible, and stepping away is the ultimate muscle flex. He also has a habit of doing it at times when other athletes are being talked about more, and himself a little less, than he would like. The leverage now comes from the fact that McGregor is in line for a payday, soon, being spoken about as perhaps the headliner for the first ever card on Fight Island, the UFC’s mystical solution to COVID-19’s enforced travel headache. Also, the UFC recently lost its flyweight and bantamweight champion, Henry Cejudo, who walked away and relinquished his belts after becoming dissatisfied with his remuneration. Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is threatening to go too, for similar reasons, as is the popular Jorge Masvidal. McGregor knows he has value to a company that needs big pay-per-view numbers to keep things on track while the arenas are empty. He has proven more reliable in attracting that kind of mass audience than anyone else. On top of that, this weekend saw yet another dominant victory for UFC bantamweight and featherweight women’s champion Amanda Nunes. When McGregor rather laughably spoke of himself as one of the top fighters in history a few weeks ago, he left Nunes off his shortlist altogether. [STORY IMAGE 4] But others are not. Coming out of Nunes’ triumph over Felicia Spencer at UFC 250, the chatter wasn’t about whether she is the best female UFC athlete ever, but the best overall. “Step aside, gentlemen of the GOAT discussion, and make room for one more entry,” [wrote Jeff Wagenheim on ESPN.com.]( “Nunes' greatness transcends. She belongs in an overall conversation about the top fighters in MMA history, one that recognizes the achievements of both men and women.” Perhaps McGregor felt he needed to make a splash, a big one. So he played the biggest card of all. Problem is, there is only so many times you can do to with effect. He has played it, and played it again, and now probably maxed it out. No one believes him anymore. (Also, given his sense of flair and panache, when McGregor does decide to say farewell, expect something a bit grander and regal that a Twitter post.) His talk is still entertaining; it is what made him such a big name. It is still part of his game plan, and that’s fine. However, in truth, at a time when athletes are making statements of genuine meaning and societal import, things that carry the sort of weight and power of the NFL player video last week, perhaps we all have a little less time for stuff being said for no purpose other than self-promotion. But that’s okay. Go ahead, Conor. Buy your mom that house. Talk as much as you like. Just don’t be surprised if you’re met with skepticism — more and more of it the longer the proclamations don’t come true. [STORY IMAGE 5]( Here's what others have said... Floyd Mayweather to McGregor (via Instagram): “If I’m not mistaken, didn’t you tell Mike Tyson you could beat me if we fought a second time? Now you’re quitting! I thought you wanted to beat the best? Well, if you decide to come back, I will be waiting to punish you again.” Brett Okamoto, ESPN: “If Conor McGregor wants to fight, he should be allowed to fight. Of course. But who does he want to fight? Justin Gaethje? No. Gaethje deserves a title shot. Khabib Nurmagomedov? No. Nurmagomedov is fighting Gaethje. Anderson Silva? No, if I were the UFC I wouldn't make that. It'd be a joke. Masvidal? Heck yes. Make that. Nate Diaz? I'm in. Kamaru Usman? You know what? I wouldn't love it, and it wouldn't make the most sense, but it's a great story and would be a shot at history for McGregor. I'd accept it. I would love to see an active McGregor. Who wouldn't? But at the same time, he's not entitled to any fight he wants, on any date he wants it.” Joe Rogan, UFC commentator, after UFC 250: “I don’t buy it for a second. I think Conor McGregor is trying to get you to talk about him, and you just did. What better way to get people to talk about him when there’s a spectacular fight filled with people dominating? What he did was sort of hijack the whole situation by saying he’s retiring. I’m not buying it.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - In a rare and exclusive interview, [Michael Jordan spoke to the Charlotte Observer’s Rick Bonnell]( about his $100 million pledge to fight social injustice: “We need to make a stand.” - We’re counting down the days until basketball returns. [ESPN’s NBA writers have joined forces]( to break down each of the 22 teams that will resume play on July 31. - The NFL season is right around the corner, as well. [At Bleacher Report, Maurice Moton evaluates]( seven players entering make-or-break seasons in 2020. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( The Korean Baseball Organization has kept sports fans entertained of late with its live games (even if you have to stay up pretty late or wake up early to catch them), and while there are no fans in the stands, that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s no attendance. Like other sports, the KBO has used cardboard cutouts of fan likenesses to fill the empty seats — and this past week, one squad went the extra mile with a veritable army of plush toys, including several Pokemon. [VIEWER'S GUIDE] WWE Evolution Watch Party (Tuesday, FOX Sports digital platforms, 9 p.m. ET) Join Renee, Paige, Beth Phoenix and more as they relive WWE’s first all-women’s pay-per-view, which featured Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, Nikki Bella, and Charlotte Flair, among the other top female Superstars. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Jacksonville Jaguars to go 0-16: +4000 Our Jason McIntyre released [his latest way-too-early NFL mock draft]( over the weekend, and unsurprisingly, he has the Jaguars picking No. 1 overall and taking Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. The question, then, might not be whether Jacksonville is the worst team in the NFL next season, but rather just how bad they could be. And if you think Gardner Minshew & Co. are on pace for a rather ignoble 2020 campaign, a winless Jaguars season could net you a 40-to-1 payday. A new FOX Sports app and website is coming. [Click here]( to be notified when the reimagined app is available. 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