Conor McGregor expressed enthusiasm for competing in bare-knuckle boxing and potentially facing Mike Perry in the future.
Conor McGregor is ready to drop the gloves. The UFC star made headlines this past Friday following the main event of BKFC 41 in Broomfield, Colo., when he stepped into the ring to confront Mike Perry. Perry had just scored a brutal TKO win over former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold. On Monday, McGregor commented on his appearance via Instagram and he sounded enthusiastic about the idea of competing in bare-knuckle boxing, possibly even against Perry.
“Call me ‘slicey’ bare paw,” McGregor wrote. “Styles make fights. As well as rulesets. As well as everything. If you are scared go to church. I was called into the bare-knuckle ring last night. I fear nothing. No man that breathes air. I only fear God and abide by God and if God guides me to a professional bare-knuckle fight in my time for my new world title, I do.” He went on to say, “Great night last night. It’s real interesting out there for sure. Congrats to the fighters. Two of my old foes competed in a barn buster and a guy who ‘Cowboy’ [Donald Cerrone] submitted in a round is now the man in this sport beating a former middleweight world champion. Incredible.”
The other fight that McGregor referenced was the co-main event between Eddie Alvarez and Chad Mendes that saw Alvarez win a split decision over his fellow former UFC fighter. McGregor defeated Mendes to claim his first UFC title, an interim featherweight belt, and later defeated Alvarez for the lightweight title to become a two-division champion. Should McGregor dabble in bare-knuckle boxing, it wouldn’t be the first time that he diverted from the octagon to the squared circle. In August 2017, McGregor — while still under contract with the UFC — fought boxing legend Floyd Mayweather at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, a matchup that headlined one of the most lucrative pay-per-views in combat sports history.
McGregor is currently set for a UFC fight with Michael Chandler, with a date still to be determined following the conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter 31, which features the fighters as opposing coaches. It seems unlikely that McGregor will book a clash with Perry anytime soon, if ever, but he clearly isn’t ruling it out. “This fight took place in the 185-pound division,” McGregor wrote. “I’ve not fought at that weight before but I can get there nicely as a refrigerator freezer. For sure. Who knows but God and I trust God.”