CONOR McGREGOR could be tempted to hang up his gloves if he loses his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier.
The former featherweights will renew their rivalry early on Sunday morning in the main event of UFC 264 in Las Vegas.
McGregor, 32, suffered a brutal second-round KO defeat to the former interim lightweight champion in their January rematch in Abu Dhabi.
And ex-middleweight king Michael Bisping reckons the Irishman could bring the curtain down on his career if he suffers a second successive defeat to The Diamond.
During a recent episode of his Believe You Me Podcast, The Count said: "If he loses, I think there’s a potential that he might retire.
"I really do. If he’s not going to be the champ, and that is a long way off, what is he going to do?
"He’ll always be the main event but is he just doing to do random fights against people that don’t mean anything?
"He’s made his money. He always said that he was going to get rich and get out. He’s certainly got rich.
"The last part is to get out. If he can’t beat Poirier and can’t fight for the belt anytime soon, then what?"
The victor of Poirier and McGregor's Sin City series decider will earn a crack at newly-crowned lightweight king Charles Oliveira.
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And UFC supremo Dana White reckons reclaiming the 155lb throne would see McGregor cement himself as one of the best to ever do it.
The veteran promoter told ESPN: "To have lost the belt and gone through the things that happened to him personally, professionally — to come back and beat the No 1 contender, who just beat him, and then fight for the title and win?
"Financially, it's off the charts. Professionally, it's off the charts.
"There's so much at stake in this fight, and I love that.
"Because the big question about Conor right now is the guy has so much money, Is he the same Conor? Is he focused?
"We know this kid loves to fight. He doesn't need to fight right now. He's fighting because he loves it and has an opportunity.
"If he can beat Dustin Poirier, the No 1 guy in the world, he can get a title shot."
Fan favourites McGregor and Poirier have been engaged in a bitter war of words over the last few months.
And The Notorious has promised to make the American pay for his pre-fight comments, saying: “He talks some amount lately.
“He’s going to pay for that, that’s for sure. It’s not going to be nice.”
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