Could Conor McGregor fight in BKFC? Dave Feldman is realistic about it

USA Today

28-01-2025

KnuckleMania 5 provided yet another Conor McGregor viral moment for BKFC when the former UFC two-division champion decided to face off with Jeremy Stephens following his headlining win over Eddie Alvarez.
It's fun to think about, isn't it? McGregor fighting 'who da fook is that guy' Stephens all these years after their seminal viral moment. McGregor is adamant about fighting for BKFC, the organization he now promotes as one of its investors. But the reality is that McGregor is bound by his UFC contract (two fights remain) from freely doing so.
So while BKFC president Dave Feldman thinks about how awesome it would be for McGregor to compete in bareknuckle, he's realistic about the current chances.
'Anytime you get those kind of moments, it's awesome,' Feldman said Tuesday on 'The Ariel Helwani Show,' reflecting on McGregor and Stephens' faceoff. 'But I mean, I can't (make that fight) obviously unless the UFC wanted to do something with us, and they don't need us for anything. But maybe they would, right? Other than that, it doesn't happen.'
Unlike other combat sports promoters through the years – such as Bob Arum, Oscar De La Hoya, or more recently Donn Davis – Feldman has maintained a cordial relationship with Dana White and the UFC. Feldman isn't looking to proverbially rock the boat with the world's biggest fight promotion, but it could at least be worth broaching the subject of allowing McGregor a one-off in BKFC.
'I think we're growing at a really great pace right now that – not that they're concerned about us; they're not. But if something like that happens, it just moves us up five or 10 more pegs, and I don't think that they want to help us grow,' Feldman said of the UFC. 'And I think that helps us grow tremendously. But who knows? It is worth the shot, and maybe we'll take that shot in the next week or two.'
Whether anything comes to fruition, one thing is certain to Feldman.
'Yeah, (McGregor) wants it. He says, 'I have two fights left, and then we're gonna do it. I'm definitely fighting here.' He says it all the time,' Feldman said. '… He did tell me to make the date, and obviously there's a lot that would go into making that date. But I mean, wow, him vs. Jeremy Stephens, him vs. Mike Perry, it would be amazing.'
And at least for now, it's just a dream.