McGregor Targets BKFC Fight With Stephens; Will It Happen?

Conor McGregor has his eyes on fighting Jeremy Stephens in a BKFC event.
The Notorious was present for KnuckleMania V over the weekend as Stephens faced Eddie Alvarez. Stephens came out victorious after dropping Alvarez in the third round. Alvarez got up from the ground. But he was sent to the floor again as the referee waived off the fight. McGregor disrupted Stephen’s post-fight interview. The Irishman faced off against Stephens, saying he wanted to fight him next. Stephens reacted to that news in his post-fight presser, as he had plenty to say.
Stephens Reacts
“Old Cocaine Conor. He’s got a long path, bro. It’s all good promotion. I love it. I love to come in there right in front of his face and have him doubt me. [And] I feel like (David) Feldman and him were up against me. Everybody was up against me. I came to another city. To feel this kind of resolve. Like (Israel) Adesanya said. Everybody doubted me. Everybody had me out. I went up to somebody else’s city and took out another king.
“He said I wasn’t a champion, but it ain’t hardware that makes you a champion. It’s heart. It’s grit. [And] It’s resilience. It’s persistence. It’s willing to take a pay cut to make a delusion a reality. I bring my pain to purpose. You guys don’t know what the [HELL] I had to deal with to get here. You’ll never know. But if feels [bloody] good, dude. It feels good to be in this moment.
“Buttcheeks McGregor, that’s the one. That’s the money fight, bro. But I’ve been telling you guys, bro. … Put some respect on my name. Then he got knocked out by Poirier. I’ve got power. I’ve got calf kicks. But when it comes to bareknuckle, bro, no one is beating me,” Stephens said
McGregor’s Future
This raises question marks over McGregor’s future in combat sports. He still has two fights left on his UFC deal. He was scheduled to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29 last year. But he pulled out after suffering from a broken toe, meaning he has not been in a fight since his UFC 264 defeat against Dustin Poirier in 2021. McGregor was then found liable in a civil sexual lawsuit after Nikita Hand won damages.
The Irishman was also ordered to pay her legal fees. McGregor is also facing accusations on similar grounds after another alleged incident after an NBA Finals game in 2023. It is not clear whether McGregor would need the UFC’s permission to fight in BKFC. This is because the Irishman is a part-owner of BKFC, meaning he has more leverage. BFKC President Dave Feldman has confirmed that McGregor is very serious about this fight.
“As I was walking out of the arena, Conor actually tapped me on the shoulder and 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, but Conor McGregor told me he’s fighting Jeremy Stephens in bare-knuckle,” Feldman stated
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