Conor McGregor made a dramatic late entrance to the BKFC KnuckleMania 5 press conference in Philadelphia, where he promoted the main event between Eddie Alvarez and Jeremy Stephens and declared himself the “big boss” of the bare-knuckle promotion.
Conor McGregor sure knows how to make an entrance. The former two-division UFC champion has a knack for grand gestures.
He didn’t just attend President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday; he also made a late appearance at the BKFC KnuckleMania 5 press conference in Philly. McGregor, now part-owner of the bare-knuckle promotion since 2024, was expected at the event. Yet, the press conference kicked off and rolled on for nearly an hour without him.
Then, just as fighters were about to face off, McGregor stormed the stage. Classic Conor move. He almost apologized for being late but quickly changed his tune.
“Sorry I’m late. I don’t give a f*ck,” he bellowed to the Philadelphia crowd. “I’m the big boss around here.” The crowd ate it up.
He went on, invoking the gods of fighting and wishing for knuckles to turn into knives. Quite the imagery, right? Saturday night promised to be bloody, honoring Philly’s rich combat history.
McGregor called BKFC the alien of combat sports, aiming to rise above and prove its worth. His words painted a vivid picture of what was to come.
A surreal scene unfolded as McGregor hyped up the main event: Eddie Alvarez vs. Jeremy Stephens. Both fighters share history with McGregor from their UFC days.
Remember when McGregor became a simultaneous two-division champ by defeating Alvarez in 2016 at Madison Square Garden? Just two days before that fight, he famously clashed with Stephens at a press conference.
“Who the f*ck is that guy?” McGregor had shouted at Stephens back then—a line that’s since become iconic.
Now, he’s back in the mix as Alvarez and Stephens gear up for their five-round showdown at Wells Fargo Center this Saturday. It’s all coming full circle.
Before McGregor’s dramatic entrance, BKFC founder and CEO David Feldman announced something big. The KnuckleMania 5 card is expected to break Philadelphia’s combat sports attendance record—previously held by the UFC.
Philly’s buzzing with anticipation, and McGregor’s antics only add fuel to the fire. Can’t wait for Saturday!