BKFC part-owner Conor McGregor once again told the world he’ll fight without gloves.
Despite still being under contract with the UFC and not being active since July 2021, McGregor repeated at a BKFC Italy news conference Sunday that he plans to fight in the promotion. This time, he named potential names.
McGregor was fired up from the start of the press conference as he served as a mediator/hype man for the athletes on stage, promoting the April 26 event at Palazzo Wanny in Florence.
“Yes. Yes. The warrior spirit burns strong inside me,” McGregor said. “For sure. If you think I’m up here giving these speeches and leading these men into battle and I won’t step in there myself, think again. For sure. Conor McGregor will fight in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship – mark my words.”
When asked whom he’d like to face, McGregor took a long, dramatic pause as he pondered over a response. The first thing that came to mind was not a specific person, but rather someone who would lead him to title gold.
“I’d like a world title in this company,” McGregor said. “I would wish to be the Bare Knuckle world champion. That is a significant belt to hold in your career. Nobody from boxing to mixed martial arts can speak nothing bad on a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship world champion. So for sure, I’d be coming in looking for the world title.
“There are many bouts, showcase bouts you could say. Michael Perry, Mike Perry. You could say Jeremy Stephens. You could say a rematch against Eddie Alvarez. You could say many matches. But the lightweight title, who is the champion right now, lightweight or welterweight? Let’s see. I’m open. We’ll see when it comes.”
Conor McGregor says he WILL fight for BKFC: “Mark my words.”
The former UFC champ mentions Eddie Alvarez, Jeremy Stephens and Mike Perry as opponents – but he wants a BKFC belt.
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— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) February 16, 2025
McGregor, 36, has not competed since he broke his leg vs. Dustin Poirier. He was booked to fight Michael Chandler for a May showdown but withdrew due to a broken toe. His immediate next move with the UFC has remained unclear since his withdrawal.
McGregor has faced legal issues, being found civilly liable for sexual assault in Dublin in November. A lawsuit with similar accusations regarding a separate alleged incident at a 2023 NBA Finals game was filed in January in Florida.
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