Conor McGregor could have faced Tony Ferguson at UFC 249, but he turned that opportunity down, according to UFC president Dana White.
Instead, it was Justin Gaethje who stepped in to defeat Ferguson for the interim lightweight crown in the promotion’s first event since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic on May 9. On Saturday, McGregor announced that he was "retiring" from the sport before later elaborating that he was unhappy with opponent options and “bored of the game.” The Irish star previously announced his retirement in 2016 and 2019, only to ultimately return to action once negotiations with the UFC were resolved.