BKFC 41 promised to be a whirlwind of action and delivered just that. While fans were treated to brutal fights, they also witnessed something they probably never expected to see. At the end of the main event, the BKFC ring was graced by none other than Conor McGregor.
For those unaware, former UFC fighters Mike Perry and Luke Rockhold headlined BKFC 41. After two rounds of (literally) jaw-breaking action, Mike was declared the winner. As it turns out, Rockhold suffered extensive injury to his mouth and teeth and thus, could not come out for the third round.
Conor McGregor is a maniac. He shows up to #BKFC, gets called out by Mike Perry in a promotion he doesn’t fight in, says “f-ck it” and steps into the ring for a faceoff. @bareknucklefc couldn’t have had a bigger rub than that.
Dana White ain’t happy.
— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) April 30, 2023
Perry asked for a faceoff with McGregor afterward, who was spotted chugging a bottle of Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey. As such, a fired-up McGregor promptly made his way to the ring before exchanging pleasantries with “Platinum” Perry. Carrying the BKFC belt, McGregor also praised the promotion and showed his appreciation for what they had put out, much to the relief of David Feldman.
However, fans were left rather confused with McGregor practically doing a promo for the BKFC. Moreover, it is an organization that McGregor himself is not tied to. Having just made his return to the UFC, many suspect that Conor’s actions will not have gone down well with UFC President Dana White. “Dana White ain’t happy,” wrote one user, taking to Twitter.
What did Conor McGregor say to Mike Perry during the heated face-off at BKFC 41?
Before his rave reviews about the BKFC, McGregor had a rather confusing interaction with Mike Perry. Although he was brought in for a faceoff against Perry, the conversation was unexpected, to say the least. On his way to the ring, McGregor was handed a BKFC belt as well. Whilst The Notorious One is not affiliated with the organization in any way, it was likely a show of goodwill from the promotion.
Taking to the stage, they both exchanged pleasantries, embraced, and shook hands. Notably, Perry brought up his armbar loss to Donald Cerrone to which Conor responded, “Look what I did to him”. as such, Mike responded, “I know, you took him out quick. You taught me a good lesson with that sh*t”. Further, Conor stated that he respected Perry and that he would be open to fighting him.
“Fair play to you, I respect you. I’m in this game. I’d fight you. I’d fight you no problem”. However, this was followed by a strange outburst from McGregor where he says, “I’M NEVER RETIRED”. In his response, Perry simply added how that helped him come into his fight with Rockhold. Following this, David Feldman urged McGregor to step away before things spiraled out of control but the Irishman was asked a question instead.
Thus, Conor shared his thoughts about the event and the promotion, followed by applause from everyone in the arena. “It’s an incredible setup here, incredible matchmaking, incredible storytelling, oh you had to come here”. Interestingly, Conor pointed out, that he is ‘into this game’ possibly hinting at a future in BKFC. However, with Chael Sonnen suggesting that Conor still hasn’t signed on to fight Chandler, Dana White could be left fuming by Conor’s actions on Saturday night.