McGregor hints at BKFC jump: ‘Not just as an owner here’

For Conor McGregor, being part of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship ownership group apparently isn’t enough. On Thursday, he said he’d like to fight for BKFC someday.

“For me, there’s still a little job to do with the Ultimate Fighting Championship – there’s two more fights on my contract,” McGregor said, according to MMA Reporter Ariel Helwani. “But we definitely have three lightweights here on the podium, and I have my eye on all of this. I’m not just here as an owner. I’m a player-manager, I’ll call myself.”

McGregor purchased a stake in BKFC in April. The promotion has gained popularity in recent years, with several former UFC fighters having competed in the organization, including Mike Perry, Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez.

“This is the real deal,” McGregor added. “Nobody in this combat sports world can say one bad (word) about a bare-knuckle fighting champion, and that to me is money in the bank.”

McGregor has not fought since July 2021. The former two-division UFC champion was scheduled to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June but was forced to withdraw due to injury.

The 36-year-old is still expected to fight Chandler, but UFC CEO Dana White has yet to announce a new date for the event. McGregor recently said the highly anticipated fight will “definitely” happen in 2024.

Once he becomes a free agent, McGregor said the opportunity to fight for BKFC is too good to pass up.

“This is a very, very exciting organization here,” McGregor added, according to MMA Junkie’s Nolan King. “How could you not? How could you not try to become a two-sport world champion in something as wild as a bare-knuckle fighting organization. We’ve got the money. We’ve got the dough. These are big paydays here too — big paydays, big shows, big news and a coveted world title in a wild and dangerous game. For any real fighter, that’s all you want to hear. Money, power, respect. Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has it all.”