Conor McGregor: UFC featherweight champion rubbishes retirement rumours in statement

The 27-year-old featherweight also said that he is ready to fight at UFC 200

Conor McGregor (Getty)

Conor McGregor has confirmed that he has not retired from mixed martial arts and is prepared to fight at UFC 200.

The UFC featherweight champion previously suggested that he was on the verge of taking an early retirement from the sport in a cryptic tweet on Tuesday.

Dana White, UFC's president, subsequently removed McGregor from the card of UFC 200, the promotion company's milestone pay-per-view event on 9 July.

McGregor, who was scheduled to compete in a rematch against Nate Diaz, was dropped after he informed UFC officials that he would not participate in any promotional activities ahead of the fight.

The Dublin-born fighter has now clarified his position in a lengthy statement on his Facebook page.

“I am still ready to go for UFC 200,” it read. “I will offer, like I already did, to fly to New York for the big press conference that was scheduled, and then I will go back into training. With no distractions.

“If this is not enough or they feel I have not deserved to sit this promotion run out this one time, well then I don't know what to say.

“For the record also - for USADA and for the UFC and my contract stipulations - I am not retired.”

You can read McGregor's statement in full here.