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Video After The Jump

(AP) UFC fans, rejoice. Conor McGregor is not retired.

He's even willing to resume his spot in the main event at UFC 200.

The mixed martial arts superstar is simply fed up with the grueling promotional demands that come with being a pay-per-view star. The 27-year-old fighter known for his over the top personality says "I can not dance for you this time."

McGregor posted on Facebook Thursday that he needed to focus on himself and not the massive hype that accompanies his mega-fights.

"I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting," McGregor said in the nearly 650-word statement also posted to Twitter, instantly drawing thousands of shares, retweets and comments from fans.

"For USADA and for the UFC and my contract stipulations — I AM NOT RETIRED," McGregor said. McGregor, at times profane and critical of interviews he saw as pointless, said the "many distractions" led to errors in preparing for his last fight, specifically with cardio and weight.

McGregor has been training for a rematch against Nate Diaz at UFC 200 in July. He lost to Diaz in March, ending a 15-fight winning streak in which he surprised many fans by fighting 25 pounds above his usual weight of 145 pounds, where he holds a title belt. The rematch was set to be fought at 170 pounds.

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McGregor stirred fans this week with a tweet saying he had decided to retire young. That prompted UFC President Dana White to respond by saying McGregor had been pulled from UFC 200 because of the dispute over promotional appearances. White said McGregor was refusing to travel to Las Vegas for promotions ahead of another UFC card this weekend.

McGregor says he's still ready to fight at UFC 200.

"I'm doing what I need for me now. It is time to be selfish with my training again. It is the only way," he said. "I feel the $400 million I have generated for the company in my last three events, all inside 8 months, is enough to get me this slight leeway."

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McGregor said UFC denied a request for a decreased promotional push and he wrote he would still be willing to attend a scheduled press conference in New York.

"I did not shut down all media requests. I simply wanted a slight adjustment," he said.

UFC said President Dana White would not comment until a scheduled press conference Friday in Las Vegas.

McGregor's coach, John Kavanagh, tweeted Thursday his fighter "rose again."

"Ur call now. You are the customers. What do you want? Press conferences or fights? Make some noise because we're ready to do the damn thing!" he tweeted.

White said this week he was working on a new UFC 200 main event and could keep Diaz on the card. The stacked card already included an interim featherweight championship bout between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar and Miesha Tate defends her bantamweight title against Amanda Nunes.

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McGregor, who sits alongside Ronda Rousey as the UFC's biggest pay-per-view stars, is still the featherweight champion. Aldo and Edgar will meet for the interim belt and the winner was scheduled to get the first shot at a unification fight against McGregor.

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McGregor added to his aura when he knocked out Aldo in 13 seconds at UFC 194 in December.

He now seems primed to return to the cage where he can talk trash to his rivals, not about the fight in front of scores of microphones.

"It is time for the other monkeys to dance," McGregor said. "I've danced us all the way here. Nate's little mush head looks good up on that stage these days. Stuff him in front of the camera for it."

UFC fighter Eddie Alvarez wrote on Twitter that McGregor had "good insight on how an empire rises and then falls."

Alvarez said McGregor's stand sets a precedent for future stars if UFC caves to his demands.

"Short term gain $$$ Long term disaster," Alvarez tweeted. "Let's see what happens."

Read Conor's Full Statement Below:

I am just trying to do my job and fight here. 


I am paid to fight. I am not yet paid to promote.


I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting. 
There comes a time when you need to stop handing out flyers and get back to the damn shop.


50 world tours, 200 press conferences, 1 million interviews, 2 million photo shoots, and at the end of it all I'm left looking down the barrel of a lens, staring defeat in the face, thinking of nothing but my incorrect fight preparation. And the many distractions that led to this. 


Nothing else was going through my mind. 


It is time to go back and live the life that got me this life.


Sitting in a car on the way to some dump in Conneticut or somewhere, to speak to Tim and Suzie on the nobody gives a fuck morning show did not get me this life. 
Talking to some lady that deep down doesn't give a fuck about what I'm doing, but just wants some sound bites so she can maybe get her little tight ass a nice raise, and I'm cool with that too, I've been giving you all raises. But I need to focus on me now.


I'm coming for my revenge here. 


I flew an entire team to Portugal and to Iceland to make my adjustments in preparation and fix my errors I made with the weight and the cardio prep. 
With the right adjustments and the right focus, I will finish what I started in that last fight. 


I will not do this if I am back on the road handing out flyers again.


I will always play the game and play it better than anybody, but just for this one, where I am coming off a loss, I asked for some leeway where I can just train and focus. I did not shut down all media requests. I simply wanted a slight adjustment.
But it was denied. 


There had been 10 million dollars allocated for the promotion of this event is what they told me. 


So as a gesture of good will, I went and not only saved that 10 million dollars in promotion money, I then went and tripled it for them. 


And all with one tweet.


Keep that 10 mill to promote the other bums that need it. My shows are good. 
I must isolate myself now.


I am facing a taller, longer and heavier man. I need to prepare correctly this time. 
I can not dance for you this time.


It is time for the other monkeys to dance. I've danced us all the way here. 
Nate's little mush head looks good up on that stage these days. Stuff him in front of the camera for it. 


He came in with no shit to do that last one. I'd already done press conferences, interviews and shot the ads before RDA pulled out.


Maybe I'll hit Cabo this time and skull some shots pre-fight with no obligation.
I'm doing what I need for me now. 


It is time to be selfish with my training again. It is the only way. 


I feel the $400million I have generated for the company in my last three events, all inside 8 months, is enough to get me this slight leeway. 


I am still ready to go for UFC 200. 


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.

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