Conor McGregor eyes Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship with only two fights left on UFC contract

Conor McGregor expressed his desire to compete in bare-knuckle fighting after his UFC contract ends. The Irishman was speaking at the BKFC Spain press conference that took place on July 18. The event will take place on October 12 and a vacant BKFC lightweight title fight between Franco Tangalia and Tony Soto will headline the fight card.

McGregor, who has created several successful businesses after rising to stardom as a global MMA star, acquired part ownership of BKFC earlier this year. Speaking at the press conference, he shed light on his contractual situation with the UFC and hinted at his plans to compete in bare-knuckle fighting due to its competitive appeal:

"No one in this combat sports space can speak one bad word about a bare-knuckle champion. That for me, it's money in the bank. For me, I've a bit of the business left with the Ultimate Fighting Championships, two fights left on my contract. But for sure, you've got three lightweights up here on the dais. I have my eyes on all of this. I'm not up here just as an owner... 'Player-manager' - I will try to earn myself this one, yeah!"

Check out Conor McGregor's comments below (25:43):

McGregor, who last competed in July 2021, was expected to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29. However, an injury forced him to pull out of the contest. In a recent social media interaction, he hinted at fighting Chandler in late 2024.

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Conor McGregor explains what motivates him to compete in bare-knuckle fighting

Conor McGregor is the biggest star in MMA history and has held titles in multiple weight classes in different promotions. As a result, his decision to compete in bare-knuckle fighting may come as a surprise to many.

Speaking further in the aforementioned press conference, McGregor explained what excites him about the sport:

"I started out as a boxer and bare-knuckle fighting is the purest form [of combat sports]. Just watch one fight and you will be hooked." [23:53]

He continued:

"Any real fighter, a true fighter inside of [a fighter], knows that to have a bare-knuckle fighting world championship is a real feather in the cap. Once I came down to watch a live event, I was blown away by it. I just began a conversation alongside [Dave Feldman], who I am a big believer in."