A thirteen-second KO, and that too against a former world champion – you don’t need to teach Conor McGregor what that feels like. So, you can understand his elation when he saw this feat repeated in his co-owned BKFC! At BKFC 70 Cuban boxing once again seized the spotlight with Leonardo “El Zambo” Perdomo proving his dominance. In a jaw-dropping display of power, ‘El Zambo’ obliterated former WBC champion Steve Herelius in just 13 seconds — a lightning-fast knockout destined to be etched into combat sports history. And the reaction? Absolute astonishment. BKFC stars along with part-owner and their most vocal promoter, Conor McGregor, were left stunned by the Cuban powerhouse’s devastating performance. Curious about McGregor’s take? Let’s dive in.
At the BKFC Hollywood post-fight press conference, when asked about the 13-second knockout, ‘Mystic Mac’ emphasized that he was utterly shocked by it. “Leonardo ‘El Zambo” Perdomo — oh my God, thirteen seconds! I have a thirteen-second knockout also, so when I heard that, I was like, ‘Yes, I know how good that feels!’ And boy, oh boy, it’s against the former world champion.”
He further added, “It shows the caliber of what we are doing. He is an asset and credit to the country of Cuba, and God bless him. We wish him all the best. Heavyweights, watch out! Our heavyweight division is stacked in bare-knuckle, with incredible heavyweights in this division. And ‘El Zambo’ is one of the scariest fighters in the division. So, more power to him!
Since his debut in June 2023, the Cuban star has been a knockout machine. With a record of 6 victories and 0 defeats, ‘El Zambo’ has finished all his opponents by knockout. When he shared the ring with Steve Herelius, there was palpable fear that he might suffer his first career defeat — but the opposite happened. Conor McGregor was astonished by the way ‘El Zambo’ performed in the sixth fight of his career as he took to his Instagram handle to upload his knockout moment.
As for McGregor’s own thirteen-second KO – this phenomenal work against Jose Aldo at UFC 194 will turn a decade old in December 2025. To this day, it remains the fastest KO in a UFC title fight. For Pedromo, it gives substance to McGregor’s warning to fighters who want to treat BKFC as a ‘retirement package.’ The ex-UFC double champ stated in full confidence at the post-event presser, “Some of these boxing organization fighters and some of these mixed martial artists think they’re just gonna rosy on and mosy on over here and it’s gonna be all sweet and it’s a little retirement package. Think again! This is as real as it gets!”
Does that last line ring a bell? ‘As real as it gets’ was the name of UFC 37.5, which went down in June 2002. The tagline has since then been associated with the world’s leading MMA promotion. And McGregor taking it for his own promotion could very well indicate his career trajectory and an impending rift with the UFC.
Well, Conor McGregor is happy with his job as a promoter, but what about his comeback? The former dual weight champion, in his statement, has hinted towards retirement!
Is this the end of the line for Conor McGregor?
Last year on New Year’s Eve, the former UFC champion, Conor McGregor, announced that he would be making a comeback to the MMA scene against Michael Chandler. After UFC 300, Dana White disclosed that ‘Mystic Mac’ would face Chandler at UFC 303; however, fate had other plans. ‘The Notorious’ pulled out of his fight against the former Bellator champion, citing a toe injury, and seriously disrupted Dana White’s plans. The aftermath? The UFC CEO refuses to talk about McGregor till he gets his things together.
Fast forward to 2025, Conor McGregor is without a fight and it appears that he is closer to retirement following his political entry announcement. While having a conversation at the BKFC press conference, Mystic Mac was asked about his comeback, to which he stated, “I’ve got two fights on the contract, I’m in negotiations. Last week, something happened to me. I went to the White House, and my heart bleeds for my country right now.”
He further added, “So there’s a lot of stuff going on back home. I’m happy with what I’ve done. There’s something else for me that’s in my gut right now, and that’s kind of where I’m going.” That’s not all. McGregor also claimed that he turned down an offer, or rather a deal, to fight at a UFC event reportedly going down in Alcatraz in June because it was not worth it for him. All of this paints a rather disappointing picture for his fans where McGregor could ride off into the sunset on the back of two consecutive losses.
Well, the former lightweight and featherweight champion will be 37 this July, and that just makes it harder to compete at the elite level in his preferred weight classes in MMA. Given that, what are your thoughts on the hubbub? State your opinion in the comments below.
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