It has been almost four years since Conor McGregor last fought in the UFC, and his recent statements suggest that his fighting career might truly be over.
At a recent BKFC event in Florida, the former UFC two-division champion announced that he declined an opportunity for a comeback fight as he is considering running for president of Ireland. McGregor also mentioned, “I’m happy with what I’ve done,” which sounds more like a retirement announcement than a hint at a future fight.
While these recent comments suggest McGregor is done with fighting, UFC veteran Matt Brown says that the Irish superstar actually hinted at this direction when he first became famous, and now he is simply fulfilling those early statements.
“He told us about 10 years ago what his plan was,” Brown said on The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast. “Remember him talking about it? ‘I’m going to come in, I’m going to dominate, I’m going to make money, and then I’m going to get out of here.’”
“He said something like this sport is brutal, and you shouldn`t stay in it for too long. He told us this 8 or 10 years ago. He literally told us, and he has done exactly that.”
Although Brown had previously stated a couple of years ago that McGregor would likely never fight again, he understood that the fame and attention that come with being the UFC`s biggest star are hard to relinquish.
This allure kept McGregor interested in a potential return, but Brown believes that with his presidential ambitions in Ireland and his co-ownership role in BKFC, McGregor has found new ways to remain relevant without fighting again.
“This is not surprising at all,” Brown stated. “He’s finally just admitting it. He loves being in the news. He loves staying relevant and sharing his opinions on everything. He has kept himself in the spotlight, and we are all still paying attention and talking about it.”
“He’s done a great job at that. A great job of playing the media. I told you before, he’s done. I think he’s just confirming what we already knew.”
Regarding McGregor`s chances of winning a major election in Ireland, many experts in his home country believe he has a slim chance of victory. However, similar doubts were expressed about Donald Trump in the United States.
Unlike the U.S. presidency, the Irish presidential role carries significantly less power and responsibility, serving more as a symbolic figurehead. In this context, Brown thinks McGregor could actually excel, but his past controversies will likely hinder him when it comes to public voting.
“He’s a very good speaker,” Brown said about McGregor. “He’s a very articulate and witty speaker. His reputation might not be ideal for someone representing your country, but in terms of his speaking ability and potential as a person, I think he could be really good at it.”
“Unfortunately, he has somewhat damaged his reputation. Regardless of whether he committed the alleged sexual assaults, the allegations exist and are public. It’s challenging to elect someone like that to represent your country. These are alleged actions, which complicates things. My point is, if none of that had happened, he would be fantastic for the role.”
Beyond politics, McGregor has fully embraced his role as a promoter for BKFC since becoming a co-owner in the bare-knuckle organization. Brown commends McGregor for his passion for the sport, seeing it as another way for him to stay in the headlines without competing in fights.
“He’s really good with the BKFC thing,” Brown said. “He’s actually a perfect fit for it. He’s the ideal person to be doing that. The fans love it. He has the charisma for it. He has the energy for it. I think it’s great for BKFC. I think it’s a pretty cool sport. I actually think it’s pretty cool.”
Whether it’s growing BKFC into a major combat sports organization or actually winning the election to become President of Ireland, Brown knows McGregor has many commitments outside of fighting right now.
Brown hopes that whatever McGregor pursues, it brings him happiness because he has nothing left to prove in his fighting career, and perhaps “The Notorious” is finally recognizing this himself.
“I hope he accomplishes many great things and represents himself well,” Brown said. “Just take care of yourself, represent yourself well, and maybe it will help him improve his life. That’s what life is about. You only live once.”
“He’s not coming back. Can I now be confirmed as the accurate predictor on this? It wasn’t a difficult prediction. He told us. I don’t know why nobody listened. He literally told us. He said it, and I believe him.”
