Conor McGregor announced his retirement from the fight game on Sunday, marking the third time in four years he has called an end to his career.
The controversial Irishman, a former two-division UFC champion, posted the news on social media immediately following the broadcast of UFC 250, which took place in Las Vegas.
McGregor, 31, previously declared he was walking away from the UFC, in 2016 and again last year, only to return. He last fought in January, when he stopped Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds to mark his comeback from a 14-month hiatus.
"Hey guys I’ve decided to retire from fighting," McGregor wrote alongside a picture taken with his mother Margaret at a fight in Las Vegas. "Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it’s been!
"Pick the home of your dreams Mags. I love you! Whatever you desire it’s yours."
McGregor had been expected to return to action this summer, with many seeing his latest headline-grabbing move as an attempt to push the UFC into action.
The former flyweight and lightweight title-holder, whose professional record stands at 22-4, has lately called out a number of rivals, including Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje. However, the pair, who hold the lightweight and interim belts respectively, are slated to meet later this year in a unification bout.
Quizzed after UFC 250 about McGregor's latest comments, UFC president Dana White said: “I’ll remind everybody that we’re in a pandemic. The world is a crazy place right now with all these things that are going on. Everybody feels this right now. There’s no fans, you can’t travel the fights around.
“But that’s Conor. You know how Conor works, that’s how he does things. And if Conor McGregor feels he wants to retire, you know my feeling about retirement: you should absolutely do it. And I love Conor. There’s a handful of people who have made this really fun for me, and he’s one them.”
Despite his relative inactivity of late, McGregor remains one of UFC's prize attractions. Only last week, White credited the southpaw for the rise in purses in the sport, while he has numerous lucrative ventures outside the octagon.
"I heard some information today, which was funny it was today,” White said. “Proper 12 [drinks business] has sold an obscene amount. I don’t know what his financial situation is with that thing, but I would imagine he owns a good piece of it.
“Conor McGregor’s not going to need any money any time soon. He loves to fight, he’s passionate about it, he’s got an incredible fighter IQ. But when you say you want to retire, don’t worry about it. You do your thing. It’s all good.”
As the UFC continues without fans in attendance, and travel restrictions in place amid the coronavirus crisis, its summer schedule is still unclear. On Saturday, a report in Brazil claimed "Fight Island" – a venue built outside the United States designed to allow international fighters to compete – would be staged in Abu Dhabi, although White said he would confirm its location only later this week.
Pressed on McGregor, and what might have prompted Sunday's shock announcement, White said: “He’s been wanting to fight. He’s frustrated because he wants to fight. I’m sure that is a piece of it. It’s not that we can’t have him fight, but who do you want to fight right now? Fight [Tony] Ferguson? He had called out [Jorge] Masvidal. Who do you fight right now, and where do we fight Conor McGregor right now? Fight Island isn’t even up and running until July.
“So if you look at all the problems to run a business like this, multiply it by a million and that’s where we’re at. It’s a wacky time to be putting on live sports right now. The amount of people I have gunning for me right now is insane. I don’t [care]. I'm trying my best to keep the train on the tracks."
Gaethje, who has been tipped to face McGregor if Nurmagomedov can’t fight, or after that particular bout should he defeat the unbeaten Russian, tweeted: “Thankfully all of the elderly are still hiding in their homes. This guy is on another bender.”
One of the most polarising figures in mixed martial arts, McGregor has also crossed over into boxing. In August 2017, he lost to former five-weight world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr and has since teased another foray into the sport.
Company%20profile%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Neymar's bio
Total club appearances 411
Total goals scored 241
Appearances for Barca 186
Goals scored for Barca 105
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
Series result
1st ODI Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets
2nd ODI Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
3rd ODI Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
4th ODI Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets
5th ODI Zimbabwe won by 3 wickets
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Iran's dirty tricks to dodge sanctions
There’s increased scrutiny on the tricks being used to keep commodities flowing to and from blacklisted countries. Here’s a description of how some work.
1 Going Dark
A common method to transport Iranian oil with stealth is to turn off the Automatic Identification System, an electronic device that pinpoints a ship’s location. Known as going dark, a vessel flicks the switch before berthing and typically reappears days later, masking the location of its load or discharge port.
2. Ship-to-Ship Transfers
A first vessel will take its clandestine cargo away from the country in question before transferring it to a waiting ship, all of this happening out of sight. The vessels will then sail in different directions. For about a third of Iranian exports, more than one tanker typically handles a load before it’s delivered to its final destination, analysts say.
3. Fake Destinations
Signaling the wrong destination to load or unload is another technique. Ships that intend to take cargo from Iran may indicate their loading ports in sanction-free places like Iraq. Ships can keep changing their destinations and end up not berthing at any of them.
4. Rebranded Barrels
Iranian barrels can also be rebranded as oil from a nation free from sanctions such as Iraq. The countries share fields along their border and the crude has similar characteristics. Oil from these deposits can be trucked out to another port and documents forged to hide Iran as the origin.
* Bloomberg
