Former two division UFC champion Conor McGregor recently announced his retirement from professional MMA competition.
Donald Cerrone, who was linked to a potential fight with McGregor in the past, says that the Irishman?s retirement announcement is nothing more than a ploy to stay relevant.
?I don?t believe it, I don?t think it is happening,? Cerrone said on SportsCenter (via Cole Shelton of BJPenn.com). ?I really don?t. I think it is a ploy to stay relevant. I don?t think he is going anywhere.?
McGregor and Cerrone looked like they were going to clash in the Octagon, but Cerrone says the bout wasn?t put together because McGregor only wants to compete in main event fights.
Cerrone has since moved onto a fight against Al Iaquinta, but is still willing to battle McGregor if the bout eventually comes together.
?I was just done waiting, done playing the game,? he said. ?He is radio silent, so I wasn?t going to sit and wait, sit and wait, and sit and wait, and then all of the sudden something like this happens where he retires. I would have just been out. So I said I am not going to sit and wait for you Conor. I am going to take another fight. If you want to fight me in July, I will fight now and I?ll fight you again.?
UFC Fight Night Ottawa takes place on Saturday, May 4 from the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada with Al Iaquinta and Donald Cerrone headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which streams live on ESPN+.