McGregor welcomed the move to bare-knuckle boxing after completing a BKFC deal
CONOR McGREGOR has been welcomed as he makes the move to bare-knuckle boxing after securing a sponsorship deal.
McGregor's Forged Irish Stout has now teamed up with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
The Irishman himself came up with the idea of one day taking off the gloves for a brutal fight with bare fists.
In 2017, he moved to the boxing ring to take on Floyd Mayweather, losing in ten rounds but earning around £100 million in the process.
The UFC gave McGregor special permission for this and helped promote the money-making spectacle.
BKFC founder David Feldman therefore refuses to rule out the 35-year-old entering the world of bare-knuckle boxing.
He told SunSport: “Look, theoretically he can't do that because he's under contract with the UFC and we actually have a great relationship with the UFC.
“But I think Conor plays by different rules, maybe there is a way to work together on an event, who knows?
“But as far as us doing it ourselves, I don't think that will ever happen. But maybe a collaboration? It could happen, he likes it.”
McGregor was ringside in April when his former opponents Eddie Alvarez, 40, and Chad Mendes, 38, fought at BKFC 41.
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Later that night, ex-UFC star Mike Perry, 32, defeated Luke Rockhold, 39, and McGregor then jumped into the ring for a showdown.
Feldman said: “They were both standing there blasting and Mike Perry is talking well, Conor is talking well and it would be really fun to watch.
“There's a lot of guys there too. A lot of guys in the UFC, that would be fun; Justin Gaethje, he would be a lot of fun to watch here.
“I think Conor vs. Mike Perry would be followed all over the world.”
McGregor paraded around with a BKFC championship belt and faced their biggest star in Perry.
And it gave Feldman perhaps the greatest piece of marketing possible.
He said: “It's huge and since then we've been able to sign a deal with him for his Forged Irish Stout, who is now a sponsor of ours.
“He becomes an ambassador and that was a great thing. He liked what he saw, but that didn't have to be liked if you're a real fighter.
“It's hard not to get excited about it and he got excited about it. Now it has become a good relationship.
“It's amazing, you have the number one martial artist in the world who loves your product and wants to be involved with you in some way.”
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