CM Punk and Conor McGregor could be poised to switch places.
The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion walked out on the WWE back in January 2014 and eventually signed on with UFC that December. McGregor, meanwhile, announced his retirement from the Octagon on Tuesday in a tweet where he claimed he decided to "retire young."
Punk's last appearance in the squared circle occurred at the Royal Rumble in 2014 as he eventually stormed off on the company the following night due to frustrations with his creative use and an apparent concussion he suffered.
There's no word yet on why McGregor retired, but he is coming off a loss to Nate Diaz, his first defeat in 15 fights, and their rematch for UFC 200 is canceled. McGregor also recently attended a fight where competitor Joao Carvalho passed away due to injuries sustained during the bout.
I have decided to retire young.
Thanks for the cheese.
Catch ya's later.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 19, 2016
While many people believe McGregor is trolling everyone, UFC reporter Ariel Helwani noted sources close to him have claimed the retirement is legitimate.
Multiple sources are adamant at this time that McGregor's tweet isn't a joke, troll job or hoax of any kind. Reason(s) behind it is unclear. — Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 19, 2016
With McGregor still being only 27, many have speculated what his next career move will be, and one popular theory is professional wrestling. The former UFC featherweight champion recently added to the speculation by following four well-known WWE personalities on Twitter, according to the New York Daily News.
The Irishman followed fellow countrywoman and WWE women's wrestler Becky Lynch, WWE executives Stephanie McMahon and her brother Shane McMahon, as well as Triple H, who is a wrestler and the Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative.
It's possible that McGregor, who is 19-3 in his MMA career with 17 knockouts, could be switching places with "The Best in the World."
Punk, 37, has been preparing for his UFC debut for over a year, but he's suffered myriad setbacks. It was recently announced that Punk would take on New Jersey native Mickey Gall in his UFC debut, but it was pushed back due to his need to undergo back surgery.
It's entirely possible that if McGregor pursues a WWE career, he enters the squared circle before Punk sets foot in the Octagon.
