A tweet sent Tuesday from the verified account of UFC star Conor McGregor indicates the UFC featherweight has 'decided to retire.'
I have decided to retire young.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 19, 2016
Thanks for the cheese.
Catch ya's later.
If your reaction was to this is "what?" you are in the same boat as the rest of us.
McGregor's announcement came out of nowhere and no one is sure whether to believe the message. Is it real? Is it a cruel joke? Was he hacked?
For now, we're all waiting with baited breath, but his UFC 200 opponent Nate Diaz tweeted out a response that is perfectly Nate Diaz.
I guess my work here is done I'm retiring too
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) April 19, 2016
McGregor's coach sent out this somewhat cryptic tweet.
Well was fun while it lasted
— Coach Kavanagh (@John_Kavanagh) April 19, 2016
Most of the reaction on Twitter from fans was utter disbelief in the announcement.
.@TheNotoriousMMA pic.twitter.com/hBuZEpaBVr
— MMA GIFS (@mma_gifs_) April 19, 2016
@TheNotoriousMMA pic.twitter.com/sdz0KQXgsx
— Perry (@FPS_Perry) April 19, 2016
@TheNotoriousMMA pic.twitter.com/zbJHoovgHS
— Joe Field (@fieldjoe4) April 19, 2016
@TheNotoriousMMA pic.twitter.com/3BghAWPyI8
— Lance McCullers Jr. (@LMcCullers43) April 19, 2016
.@TheNotoriousMMA I will remember you... pic.twitter.com/nJvKt5uMsm
— Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) April 19, 2016
... @TheNotoriousMMA pic.twitter.com/DRfcfE41iM
— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) April 19, 2016
. @TheNotoriousMMA pic.twitter.com/2LX5SmRxAA
— Steve Noah (@Steve_OS) April 19, 2016
I have decided to never stop eating Whataburgers.
— Whataburger® (@Whataburger) April 19, 2016
Thanks for the cheese.
Catch ya's later
McGregor is the biggest star in the UFC and the company's greatest draw, both in person and for pay-per-view events. He is currently booked for a welterweight rematch against Nate Diaz at UFC 200.
The 27-year-old is at the top of the sport and makes massive amounts of money every time he steps into the octagon. If he is actually retiring, it's one of the most shocking departures in sports history. If he's joking with us all, well, that's just mean, Conor.
CBS Sports has reached out to UFC for comment about McGregor's tweet.