Conor McGregor announces his retirement

Conor McGregor has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts - again - at the age of 31.

The Irishman posted the announcement under his Twitter handle @TheNotoriousMMA with a photo of his mother.

McGregor made his announcement immediately after Amanda Nunes became the first UFC fighter to defend a championship belt while holding titles in two weight classes, when she beat featherweight contender Felicia Spencer at UFC 250 in Las Vegas.

It's not the first time McGregor has called an end to his career.

In March last year McGregor retired as reports surfaced he was under investigation for an alleged sexual assault. A separate allegation was reported later in the year, and in January McGregor responded in an interview with ESPN, saying: "Time will show all".

He was last month listed 16th on Forbes' sporting rich list with reported earnings of US$48 million (NZ$74m); US$32m from fight purses and the rest from endorsements.

In January, McGregor returned with a bang, stopping Donald Cerrone with a head kick and punches 40 seconds into the first round at UFC 246 for his first victory since 2016.

[Source: Stuff.co]