Conor McGregor expected to fight in bare-knuckle once UFC deal expires

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) founder David Feldman told ESPN he would "bet everything" that Conor McGregor fights for the promotion once his UFC contract expires.

McGregor returned to the Octagon in July following a five-year hiatus from the sport, losing to Max Holloway in the first round after sustaining a knee injury in the opening seconds of the fight.

The former two-weight world champion is also a partner in BKFC, which was founded by Feldman in 2018, and has one fight left on his UFC contract.

McGregor, 38, became a part owner of the bare-knuckle promotion in 2024 and is now expected to compete in the sport once his deal with the UFC expires.

"He has one fight left with UFC, when that fight is done I would bet everything that he will be fighting for BKFC," Feldman told ESPN.

"I'm definitely enthused by his enthusiasm. I didn't think we were going to get this out of him. I didn't think he was going to fall in love with the sport as much as he did.

"He's one of the biggest fans in BKFC, not just a partner. He says some really critical things that help us promote the fighters and do different things."

In the days after his short-lived return to UFC, McGregor confirmed he would have surgery on his ACL but hinted he could fight again in summer 2027.

Feldman said the Irishman is heavily involved with the business side of BKFC and expects his focus to shift to the sport fully once his UFC career is done.

"We listen to a lot of the different suggestions he has in building stars but he's been fantastic, he's jumping on board now since he started to recover from his injury," Feldman said.

"Obviously he's going to take another hiatus when he trains for his next UFC fight and then it's all BKFC."

BKFC will host its next event in Manchester, England, on Sept. 26, with Darren Till facing fellow former UFC star Yoel Romero.