Real meaning: Conor has an alcohol and cocaine problem.
But the truth is that Dustin is way ahead of him skillwise.
And a year without a fight shouldn't be a problem for a pro mma fighter anyway.
That's absolutely ridiculous. You can definitely make the argument Dustin is more rounded, you could even make the argument he's more skilled. But at best the difference is marginal, and I'd still argue Conor is the better fighter overall. A fresh Conor is a huge problem for anyone at 155 or below, the problem is his gas tank is limited. He also sorely underestimated how effective the leg kicks were going to be, but that has always been a weakness for him- remains to be seen if he can actually fix that.
The honest truth is the best Conor we saw was up to the Aldo fight, he peaked and held there for a bit and started declining heavily around Floyd. I don't think he has the same bounce and athleticism at 155 that he did at 145, and a huge part of his success was around his fluid kicking game to set up his hands. His pure boxing stance he's had since Floyd is leaving him wide open, but I don't think it's a choice- I think he simply can't do it anymore. Maybe it's his cardio, who knows. Certainly the money and lifestyle isn't conducive to putting your all in there, and he sounded pretty flat post fight. Even if that was his last fight it's been a good ride and he's put some amazing fights out there, and helped bring the UFC into a bigger stage- so good on him.