Conor McGregor will not leave his gloves in the Octagon as a retired man. The former two-division UFC champion used a ringside appearance at Hype FC’s card in Rome on Nov. 3 to spell out how his UFC run ends, and bareknuckle boxing is the answer.
McGregor claimed he would lay down his gloves but then move to Bareknuckle Boxing:
“I’m going to lay down my gloves in that Octagon for my final UFC contract [fight], but not to retire, to announce bareknuckle,” McGregor said during an interview at the PalaPellicone.
Asked whether he preferred MMA or bareknuckle, the Dubliner picked the bare fists:
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“Bareknuckle, bareknuckle, I really enjoy bareknuckle fighting. Now, I am a mixed martial artist, maybe I’m saying this because I had a bad time out the last time.”
He added:
“Bareknuckle is very exciting, very dangerous and it takes courage.”
The bad time in question was UFC 329. McGregor, 38, returned after nearly five years away and lasted 69 seconds against Max Holloway, tearing the ACL and meniscus in his right knee on an opening kick. He went in for surgery and Holloway walked out with a TKO win.
McGregor wants the last fight on his UFC deal at International Fight Week in July 2027, though the promotion has never publicly confirmed that he has only one bout left and no opponent, date or venue has been set. He is 22-7, has lost three straight and has not won since stopping Donald Cerrone in 2020.
“Teeth come and go, just like a nose,” he said of the bareknuckle gamble.
BKFC is the obvious landing spot. McGregor became a co-owner in 2024, and BKFC founder David Feldman told ESPN in September that he would “bet everything” on the crossover.
Before Rome, though, McGregor had already picked a different fight: the box office.
Conor McGregor vows to outdo Canelo Alvarez in his next fight
Canelo Alvarez had just beaten Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh on Oct. 31 to reclaim the WBC super middleweight title. Conor McGregor, posting on X, cared more about the numbers than the boxing:
“How many views did the canelo fight get? How many in attendance? Gate?” he wrote. “Man I outdo ALL of these people in sales. Majorly. EVERY SINGLE ONE. With ease. Maybe even combined.”
He then promised the promotional push he admits UFC 329 did not get:
“I’m going to actually try to sell the fight for my next one. My final fight. See what numbers I can generate. Keep outdoing my own records.”
Edited by Saiyed Adeem Karim
