Conor McGregor announces retirement in late-night tweet

Oops, he did it again.

UFC superstar Conor McGregor has once again announced his retirement from the sport in a late-night post on social media.

“Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as ‘Mixed Martial Art’ today,” he wrote on Twitter around 10:30 p.m. PDT. “I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition. I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!”

The last statement was a reference to his new whiskey company, Proper No. 12.

UFC president Dana White told the Review-Journal in a text message he wasn’t surprised by the news.

“He has the money to retire and his whiskey is KILLIN it,” White wrote. “It totally makes sense. If I was him, I would retire too. He’s retiring from fighting, not from working. The Whiskey will keep him busy and I’m sure he has other things he’s working on.”

McGregor, a former two-division champion, last competed in an unsuccessful attempt to regain the lightweight belt against Khabib Nurmagomedov in October. He was suspended six months for his role in a post-fight brawl at T-Mobile Arena.

He previously tweeted a retirement announcement in April 2016. He fought again in August of that year, earning a majority decision victory over Nate Diaz in the first of their two fights.

McGregor, 30, appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Monday night. He was rumored to be working on a deal to return to the cage on the UFC’s July card at T-Mobile Arena and even indicated that was a possibility during the interview.

“We’re in talks for July,” McGregor said on the show. “So we’ll see what happens. A lot of politics going on. The fight game is a mad game. But again, like I said, and to my fans, I am in shape and I am ready.”

The superstar fighter has had a tumultuous year. He was arrested last April in New York for attacking a bus containing UFC fighters and staffers at an event in New York. McGregor was also arrested this month in Miami for stomping on the cell phone of a fan who was taking his picture outside a night club.

His meteoric rise in the sport included generating massive paydays with some of the biggest events in UFC history, becoming the first fighter to simultaneously hold belts in two different weight classes and participating in a blockbuster crossover boxing bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“He has been so fun to watch,” White wrote. “He has accomplished incredible things in this sport. I am so happy for him and I look forward to seeing him be as successful outside of the octagon as he was in it.”

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Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.