2024-07-24 04:28:20
McGregor to Delay UFC Return, Fight Bare Knuckles
İdman.biz presents an article with a link to livesport.ru.
Conor once again showed himself from the most unpredictable side, declaring his desire to have a bare-knuckle fight. MMANews has already selected 5 most suitable opponents for the famous Irishman
Conor McGregor made headlines again this past week as he held his first press conference as co-owner of bare-knuckle fighting promotion BKFC ahead of the company’s scheduled event in Marbella, Spain later this year.
The former two-division UFC champion was recently scheduled to fight in the octagon for the first time in three years at the 303rd numbered tournament against Michael Chandler, but Conor’s leg injury put an end to those plans.
Speaking at a BKFC press conference, the Irishman revealed that he has just two fights left on his current UFC contract and said he has ambitions to test himself in the ring in a bare-knuckle fight once those commitments are fulfilled.
MMANews has already selected 5 intriguing opponents that fans would like to see McGregor in the ring with at BKFC.
1. Nate Diaz
The rivalry between the outrageous Irishman and Diaz has simply refused to die down since the pair first met in the Octagon at UFC 196 in 2016.
Diaz took the fight on short notice, replacing McGregor’s original opponent Rafael dos Anjos, and shocked the world by handing the then featherweight champion his first loss in the league.
Conor went on to win a quick rematch via majority decision just 5 months later, and it seemed like it was only a matter of time before the two men settled the score again.
However, the third fight never took place, and Diaz also terminated his contract with the UFC in the fall of 2022, ending it with a submission victory over Tony Ferguson in the fourth round.
After leaving the promotion, Diaz decided to try his hand at professional boxing, where he was defeated by Jake Paul and defeated former UFC opponent Jorge Masvidal.
If McGregor is released from his UFC contract and joins Diaz as a free agent, it’s likely they’ll end the trilogy in a bare-knuckle fight.
2. Mike Perry
Free Full Fight! Mike Perry vs. Eddie Alvarez
Perry is the current BKFC Middleweight Champion and the main face of the promotion. Mike’s career has skyrocketed since leaving the UFC in 2021, as he has won all 5 of his fights and become the biggest name in the bare-knuckle world.
It is worth noting that the list of former UFC fighters who performed under the BKFC banner has only grown over the years. Such stars as Luke Rockhold, Eddie Alvarez and Thiago Alves fought bare-knuckle.
Perry, in turn, became the promotion’s highest-paid fighter, after which he fought Jake Paul in a boxing match and lost to him by knockout. However, this does not affect his performance in BKFC.
Despite never being an MMA star in his entire career in the Octagon, Perry is now considered one of the biggest figures in martial arts outside of the UFC. And such an opponent would definitely be interesting for Conor.
3. Jorge Masvidal
“Gamebred” was a UFC star in the lightweight and welterweight divisions from 2013-2023. He fought for the 165-pound title twice against Kamaru Usman, but lost both times.
After leaving the UFC in 2023, he recently made his first foray into the boxing world when he faced Nate Diaz. Although the event was a commercial failure and Masvidal lost a close decision to his former UFC opponent, he is rumored to be planning more fights in the ring in the future.
McGregor also took to social media to reveal that he won $1.625 million betting on Diaz to beat Masvidal, which is a good reason for Jorge to challenge Conor.
4. Paul Malignaggi
The likelihood of such a fight being organized is not the highest, but “Magic Man” and “The Notorious” have certainly made their mark on the modern history of martial arts, and so fans would be interested in such a fight. Especially since there is history between these two fighters.
McGregor invited the former IBF and WBA welterweight champion to his camp as a sparring partner ahead of his disastrous showdown with Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
After several videos emerged on social media of McGregor knocking out Malignaggi during training, tensions between the former sparring partners increased and rumors began circulating that the two would meet in a boxing match in the future.
While that fight never happened, Malignaggi did face another former McGregor training partner and one-time close friend Artem Lobov in a bare-knuckle bout in 2019 at BKFC 6.
Paul then surprisingly lost a unanimous decision to the former UFC featherweight. Malignaggi has since made a career as a boxing commentator and analyst, and has worked BKFC events since retiring from the sport.
Can we expect that at 42 he will be tempted to have another fight with his old friend? If BKFC offers a high fee, then the chances will increase several times.
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Could it happen again? Could we see the stars align for one of the most heated rivalries in UFC history to return, but outside of Dana White’s league?
Since Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor at UFC 229 in 2018 to retain his lightweight title, the Irishman has been relentless in his pursuit of a rematch.
His disappointment at Khabib announcing his retirement just two years after their first fight was captured on camera during the filming of his documentary McGregor Forever, and the Irishman took the opportunity to criticise Nurmagomedov for his early retirement.
Now that Khabib appears to have fallen on hard times and is in trouble with the Russian tax authorities, can we imagine him being cornered into agreeing to step into the cage for a big payday to face his old rival again?
The probability is very low. However, now is the time when absolutely everything is possible.
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