Two-time UFC champion Conor McGregor has said he will scrap in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) “for sure”, calling a title for the promotion a “significant belt” and claiming he would compete unpaid “under this great organization”.
McGregor, who has not fought in any discipline since suffering a second successive UFC defeat to Dustin Poirier in January 2021, has named UFC fighters-turned-BKFC-competitors Mike Perry, Jeremy Stephens and Eddie Alvarez – who he beat in the UFC in 2016 – as potential opponents.
“I’d like a world title in this company,” McGregor said as part of a press conference full of typical bravado in Italy to promote a BKFC event in Florence on April 26.
“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.
“There are many showcase belts. You could say Mike Perry, Jeremy Stephens, a rematch against Eddie Alvarez. You could say many matches. Who’s the lightweight, welterweight champion? We will 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.
🎥 @bareknucklefc pic.twitter.com/vcHDHK0f0Q
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) February 16, 2025
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Conor McGregor next fight: BKFC?
Irishman McGregor became a BKFC part-owner in 2024, adding to his business interests outside of sport including a hugely popular whiskey brand.
The 36-year-old remains one of the most marketable and in-demand athletes in the world but said he would go without pay to brawl bare-knuckle for the first time.
“The warrior spirit burns inside me strongly, for sure,” he added. “If you think I’m up here giving these speeches and leading these men into battle and I won’t step inside there myself, think again.
Conor McGregor was warming up like he was ready to fight someone at the BKFC press conference today 😭 pic.twitter.com/VPvijan7uO
— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma) February 17, 2025
“For sure, Conor McGregor will fight in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship – mark my words. Time is money, but I tell you this now: I would do this for free.
“I would fight under this great organization, in this great sport, at this great time for free. That’s how honorable this sport is.”
Perry fights in BKFC’s middleweight division, while Stephens is a lightweight and Alvarez is a welterweight. All three are American.
Perry beat Alvarez by corner stoppage after the second round in December 2023, with Stephens repeating the feat last month a round later.
CONOR MCGREGOR IN ITALY 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/dPoXYnSJLx
— RJ👣 (@NormanRj81572) February 17, 2025
Conor McGregor net worth
Irishman McGregor has said he is close to being a billionaire and has been involved in some of the most lucrative sporting events in history, including a crossover boxing match against Floyd Mayweather in 2017 and all of the top four and eight of the top 10 highest-grossing UFC pay-per-view fights ever.
He had been set to headline UFC 303 on June 30 2024 but withdrew from his bought with Michael Chandler because of a “very painful” toe injury.
‘The Notorious’ has lost three of his last four bouts but remains the promotion’s most high-profile competitor and made numerous predictions that he would fight multiple times in 2024 and 2025 for the UFC.
Dana White, the president of the UFC, has said McGregor could return for the MMA powerhouse in late 2025.
