“If you think I’m here giving these speeches and leading these men into battle and that I’m not going to step in myself, think again. Without a doubt [I will fight in the BKFC],” Conor McGregor thundered at a BKFC press conference in February. This gave rise to serious speculations about whether the Irishman would indeed fight without gloves one day. That would make perfect sense. After all, the former UFC champion is part-owner of the bare-knuckle promotion. And as for a good scrap, ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry, the BKFC’s biggest superstar would be good for everyone involved, especially the Irishman’s pockets.
However, unfortunately, ‘Mystic Mac’ is fighting no one in the foreseeable future. “My heart bleeds for my country right now. 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.” Conor McGregor recently said at the BKFC 70 presser, reiterating his plans to run for the President of his native Republic of Ireland. With this announcement, McGregor closed the door on his much-awaited UFC comeback or a possible BKFC clash. But a guy can dream, and ‘The Notorious’ has certainly dreamed about how he would do in the world of bare-knuckle.
“I’d do very good [in the BKFC]. My accuracy is final. I’m very accurate and I’ve got big lunch boxes as well, big sledgehammers are there for fists. So, you know, I’d be confident in it for sure. Would I be putting weapons in my back pocket? Yes. I’m looking at the lightweight fighters there today. [BKFC champion Luis] Palomino ‘The Baboon’ and HD [BKFC star Howard Davis], their stance is a wee bit fancy,” ‘Mystic Mac’ told the BKFC in an interview.
“You know, even the [Jeremy] Stephens and [Eddie] Alvarez fight. I’ve fought Alvarez before, I’ve had a beef with, what’s his name, Stephens. And I’d be putting weapons in my back pocket, you know, with the kicks and what not in that range. But it’s very exciting. And there’s something gladiatorial. And that makes me eager to do it, for sure,” he added.
Nov 13, 2016 – New York, New York, U.S. – Eddie Alvarez (red gloves) vs. Conor The Notorious McGregor (blue gloves) during UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden. MMA 2016 – UFC 205 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY – ZUMA
Nov 13 2016 New York New York u s Eddie Alvarez Red Gloves vs Conor The Notorious McGregor Blue Gloves during UFC 205 AT Madison Square Garden MMA 2016 UFC 205 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Zuma
Indeed, bare-knuckle is pretty gladiatorial. There are no gloves in the BKFC. Just two guys duking it out in fisticuffs until one is left standing. Another advantage of not having gloves is that fighters get hit with the hard and bony knuckles by their opponents. As you can imagine, being hit for a couple of rounds with sharp knuckles will make a bloody mess of your face, which fans always find exciting and is the surest sign of an exciting fight. But would ‘The Notorious’ indeed have done as well as he claims in the BKFC?
How would a prime Conor McGregor have done in the BKFC?
McGregor at his best was a fantastic and peerless striker. His one-punch knockout power, excellent footwork, and yes, remarkable accuracy were a treat to watch. One need look no further than his 13-second KO of Jose Aldo at UFC 194. To slay one of the greatest featherweights ever is a testament to just how good of a striker ‘Mystic Mac’ was. Moreover, his outing at UFC 205 against the aforementioned Eddie Alvarez was the stuff of legend!
So it’s not hard to imagine him being very successful in an exclusively striking sport where all of his best attributes would have shone. Of course, the former UFC double champ would have made some changes to his game for bare-knuckle, as he admitted above. You can tell McGregor has thought about this stuff in detail from his answer, as the former UFC champ even claimed he would have had a different surprise up his sleeve for all of his opponents if he fought in the BKFC.
Of course, kicks are not allowed in bare-knuckle boxing. So we don’t know why the Dubliner talked about using his kicks. But as far as succeeding in the BKFC is concerned, there is no doubt the sublime striker would have been a huge problem for anyone under 170lbs and probably would have been at least a double champ in the BKFC, too. What do you think about Conor McGregor’s take on how he would have done in the BKFC?
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