Conor McGregor tipped to leave UFC after remaining two fights on deal

McGregor is expected to fight in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, which he co-owns, after leaving the UFC

Chris Wilson
Tuesday 24 September 2024 12:26
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McGregor has not fought since breaking his leg against Poirier in 2021
McGregor has not fought since breaking his leg against Poirier in 2021 (Getty Images)

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Conor McGregor has been tipped to leave the UFC at the end of his current contract, which features two more fights for Dana White’s promotion.

The Irishman is expected to fight in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship once his UFC contract ends, according to his business partner David Feldman, who is founder of the bare-knuckle promotion and its co-owner along with McGregor.

 “Unless he’s the best salesman in the world, the talks that we’ve had, it’s like ‘I’m fighting here,’” Feldman told MMA Fighting.

“I go, ‘Why wouldn’t you fight here?’ Because you have equity in the company, and if you fight here, you’ll probably make more money than anywhere else in the world because of what it’s going to do for the company.

“So I truly believe what you said — I think 100 percent he fights here.”

McGregor has not fought in the UFC since 2021, when he broke his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.

Conor McGregor is being tipped to fight in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship once his UFC contract is up
Conor McGregor is being tipped to fight in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship once his UFC contract is up (AFP via Getty Images)

He reached an agreement to fight Michael Chandler that same year, though after two years of postponements and injuries, Chandler recently opted to arrange a fight against Charles Oliveira at UFC 309.

The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, known as the BKFC, was founded by Feldman in April 2018, with McGregor becoming a part-owner in April 2024.

At the time, Feldman said: “I think it’s just going to move the needle tremendously. We’re going to do a lot of big things, we’re going to open up a lot of new markets.

“Look, we’re partners with Conor McGregor. Everybody in the combat sports world, everybody in the world, knows who that guy is.”

The promotion features several ex-UFC fighters, with Mike Perry, Eddie Alvarez and Luke Rockhold all having featured in past events.

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