Conor McGregor’s UFC career will likely wrap up next year. He has only one fight left on his contract, setting up a farewell appearance. His recent comeback against Max Holloway at UFC 329 lasted just 69 seconds before a torn ACL ended the bout. McGregor is currently rehabbing the knee and targeting a 2027 return he calls “The Last Dance.”
But it looks like he won’t be saying a final goodbye to fighting altogether. BKFC President David Feldman recently hinted that McGregor’s final walk to the Octagon might not be his last appearance in combat sports.
BKFC President Confirms Conor McGregor’s Post-UFC Plan
McGregor became a co-owner of BKFC in April 2024 when his company, McGregor Sports and Entertainment, acquired a massive majority stake in the promotion. He now operates as a principal partner alongside David Feldman, using his financial backing to increase fighter purses and expand international events.
Speaking right after BKFC 92, the promotion’s Boston debut at Fenway Park on Saturday, Feldman detailed how that business partnership is turning into a fight plan.
“We’ve had those conversations in the past,” Feldman said, according to MMA journalist Damon Martin. “He’s very, very focused to come back for his last fight, and then he’s going to come here [to Fenway Park] and sell this whole f—— stadium out.”
Feldman has been consistent on this for weeks, telling other outlets he’d “bet the house” McGregor fights BKFC once he clears his UFC obligation. McGregor has backed that up multiple times.
During a July 2024 press conference in Spain, he announced his ownership stake by calling himself a “player-manager” who would absolutely cross over to bare-knuckle once his UFC contract ended.
Last year, a reporter directly asked if he would strictly act as a promoter or step inside the ring. The two-time UFC champion doubled down and said, “If you think I’m up here giving these speeches and leading these men into battle and I won’t step in there myself, think again. For sure, Conor McGregor will fight in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. Mark my words.”
The most interesting part? He said he wants to hold a BKFC world championship belt.
Why Bare-Knuckle Move Makes Sense for Conor McGregor
The Irishman holds massive equity in BKFC. So, a massive stadium debut pumps value directly into a promotion he owns, rather than just being a single fight purse he collects and walks away from. Moreover, BKFC already proved it can command iconic venues by drawing a massive crowd of 14,000 fans to Fenway Park on Saturday.
The promotion built that gate by signing local Boston legends, including UFC veteran Joe Lauzon for his bare-knuckle debut. Adding McGregor to a future stadium card completely shifts the business math, instantly drawing millions of traditional UFC pay-per-view buyers who have never watched a bare-knuckle event before.
However, those are future talks. Right now, everyone is watching him closely on social media for health and injury updates. The good news is he is recovering quickly. Even sports physician Brian Sutterer was shocked by the speed of his rehab as he returned to the gym weeks after surgery.
It remains to be seen who the UFC will book against him in that last fight, while many are demanding a Max Holloway trilogy fight, since their 69-second UFC 329 faceoff feels like unfinished business.
