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Andreas Hill, ESPN
Conor McGregor, who announced earlier this year that he was co-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, has also expressed interest in competing as a “player/manager” once his UFC contract expires.
McGregor spoke about his current contract situation at a press conference in Spain on Thursday in preparation for the promotion’s next event on Oct. 12.
“For me, I have a little bit of work left to do. [with the UFC]”I have two fights left on my contract,” McGregor said. “But of course we have three lightweights on the podium and I’m watching all of this. I’m not just here as an owner — I’m going to call myself a ‘player/manager’ in this fight.”
One of the remaining fights on McGregor’s current UFC contract is expected to be against Michael Chandler.
McGregor was originally scheduled to return to the ring after a three-year hiatus at UFC 303 on June 29. But a broken toe forced the former two-division champion to withdraw from the fight and sent the organization scrambling to find a last-minute replacement for the main event.
Since then, McGregor has indicated that his return is imminent and expressed confidence that the fight with Chandler will happen before the end of 2024. UFC president Dana White has suggested that the fight “has to happen” and it appears that all parties are looking to schedule the fight as soon as possible.
During his time away from fighting, McGregor took an interest in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships. [BKFC]His attendance at a recent event got the ball rolling on reaching an agreement as co-owner, and now he has his sights set on seeing the sport grow.
BKFC’s biggest star, former UFC fighter Mike Perry, is set to face Jake Paul in a boxing match on June 20 – and McGregor believes it would be in the best interest of other MMA fighters to try their luck in bare-knuckle combat rather than compete elsewhere.
“This is a viable option, and in my opinion, the only option,” McGregor said. “I don’t want to see UFC fighters go to the PFL or any other league, and I don’t care. You have to break that mold and try something new so you can really reach the next level of stardom.”
“How can you not look like a two-sport world champion in something as crazy as a bare knuckle fighting organization? We have the money too. We have the dough. There are huge bonuses here too. For any real fighter out there, that’s all they want to hear: money, power, respect. It’s all here. The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has it all.”
But before McGregor can throw his hat into the ring for BKFC, he knows he has to fulfill his contractual obligations with the UFC.
“I look forward to getting back in the ring and running my business with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and seeing what the future holds,” he said.