‘Let’s make a date’ – Conor McGregor confirms bare knuckle future after ex-UFC rivals clash in record-breaking fight
Conor McGregor told BKFC founder David Feldman on Saturday night to 'make the date' for his bare knuckle debut.
McGregor was in attendance for and played a pivotal role in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship's biggest event to date in Philadelphia over the weekend.
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The main event witnessed two of McGregor's former rivals in Eddie Alvarez and Jeremy Stephens lock horns in the famous circular four-rope ring.
Stephens finished Alvarez via third-round TKO to mark another highlight in his bare knuckle career, although it was much to the dismay of the Philadelphia crowd who were rooting for their hometown hero.
The attendance at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia was a whopping 17,762, which is more than any MMA or boxing event in the modern history of the American city, according to combat sports journalist .
"Who the f*** is this guy," McGregor as he faced off with Stephens after the bout, referencing his famous encounter with him in 2016.
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Nine years ago, McGregor went viral ahead of UFC 205 for saying the same phrase to Stephens, who claimed he was the 'hardest-hitting' fighter in the 145-pound division.
The Irishman then knocked out Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in November 2016 to become the promotion's first fighter to hold two belts simultaneously.
"Let's make a date, let's set a date," McGregor added. "Who's going to stop me man to man?
"No one is going to stop me. David make the date and let's do it.
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"I'm doing for it, bro. Yeah."
Ahead of KnuckleMania V, McGregor had revealed to MMA journalist that he was going to show up on random BKFC card and fight for the promotion.
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"One of these days you'll just hear my music come onto the stage here in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship," McGregor said.
"I'll come out with me fists wrapped, with no gloves and fight out of nowhere.
"No promo, no nothing - just a random fight on the card - that could be what my future holds."
Feldman, BKFC's founder, added fuel to the fire regarding McGregor's comments at the event's post-fight press .
"One more thing," he said before finishing on the mic.
"As I was walking out of the arena, Conor actually tapped me on the shoulder.
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"He told me to make sure that I tell everybody that he's fighting Jeremy Stephens in BKFC.
"That's what he said. I don't know if it's happening, I'm telling you that Conor just told me he's fighting Jeremy Stephens in bare knuckle."
Stephens' victory was his third in a row under the BKFC banner and he has now cemented himself as one of the big dogs in the promotion.
He caught Alvarez with a nasty right hand that put the former UFC champion on both knees before the fight was waved off shortly after.
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Elsewhere at KnuckleMania V, former UFC heavyweight Ben Rothwell knocked out Briton Mick Terrill to be crowned the new BKFC heavyweight champion.
There were also several other brutal knockouts during the event's 12-fight card that will boost confidence for Feldman and McGregor to have a very successful 2025.
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