Last night every major publication in the English-speaking world fell over themselves to try and interpret a tweet by Irish UFC star, Conor McGregor.

Was he taking the piss? Had he been pranked? The reaction from his teammates here in Ireland (he's currently training with a batch of the pro-SBG team in Iceland) seemed to indicate that this was most likely a piss-take. But then Dana White went on Sports Centre on US television and said that McGregor was being pulled from the promotions biggest ever show, UFC 200 because he refused to travel to a press conference.

 

 

 

None of this makes a whole heap of sense on the surface. Conor McGregor spent months doing press ahead of the Jose Aldo fight last year, and then had to do the same thing again when Aldo was injured. He has more than paid his publicity dues with the UFC, so dropping him from a card because of this seems staggeringly unfair. But no one knows their worth like McGregor, and being so vocal about this might have pissed off Dana White and co over time.

At this point, no one has a clue. The "retirement" could be a negotiation tactic as pulling Conor from the UFC 200 card could be on the part of White. But it's extremely unlikely that McGregor, at 27, is calling it quits from a sport that has made him a millionaire a dozen or so times over. He is, by far, the biggest star the UFC have and last night was further indication of that. They'll have to scramble to replace him for that card, and the only real alternatives are George Saint Pierre or Ronda Rousey - the latter extremely unlikely to compete.

The UFC have a huge card coming in November in Madison Square Garden - the first ever in New York City. Could this all be a ploy to generate publicity and give McGregor a break? Stranger things have happened, but it's unlikely. Too messy and White and McGregor have already had to deflect rumours of a rift.

In the meantime, keep refreshing that Twitter feed.