Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship founder David Feldman believes
Conor
McGregor could some day take off his gloves and give bare
knuckle fighting a shot.
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McGregor previously competed in a crossover boxing match against
Floyd
Mayweather in 2017, which is the only time in
Ultimate Fighting Championship history that Dana White
entertained the idea of cross promotion. With that in mind, Feldman
refuses to rule out the possibility of McGregor competing under the
BKFC banner despite being under UFC contract.
“Look, theoretically he can’t because he’s under contract with the
UFC and we actually have a great relationship with the UFC,”
Feldman told The Sun. “But I think Conor plays by a
different set of rules anyway. Maybe there’s a way to partner on an
event, who knows? But as far as us doing it by ourselves, I don’t
think that ever happens. But maybe a collaboration? It could
happen, he likes it.”
Conor
McGregor was present ringside when his former opponents
Eddie
Alvarez and Chad Mendez threw down at BKFC 41 in April last
year. Mike Perry,
who is arguably BKFC’s biggest star, unleashed a brutal beatdown on
fellow UFC veteran Luke
Rockhold in the main event of the night.
McGregor subsequently faced off with Perry inside the ring and
later
reflected on the possibility of competing in BKFC.
“They’d both stand there and bang and Mike Perry talks good, Conor
talks good and it would be really, really fun to watch,” Feldman
said. “There’s a lot of guys out there too. A lot of guys in the
UFC that would be fun. Justin
Gaethje, he would be really fun to watch here. I think Conor
versus Mike Perry, the whole world would tune in.”
Feldman revealed that McGregor’s cameo was a marketing wonder for
the BKFC. Afterward, the promotion secured a sponsorship deal with
the Irishman’s Forged Irish Stout.
“It’s huge and since that time we were able to sign a deal with him
for his Forged Irish Stout, which is now a sponsor of ours,”
Feldman said. “He’s going to be an ambassador and it was a great
thing. He liked what he saw, it’s hard not to like it if you’re a
real fighter…It’s hard not to get excited about it and he got
excited about it. Now it’s turned into a good relationship. It’s
amazing, you’ve got the No. 1 combat sports guy in the whole entire
world who likes your product and wants to be involved with you in
some shape or form.”
As for McGregor’s UFC career, the former two-division champion has
been on the sidelines for more than two and half years since
suffering a leg break in a trilogy meeting with Dusting Poirier.
While the Irishman has been teasing a return to the Octagon for
some time, the promotion has remained tight lipped regarding his
highly-anticipated comeback.