Conor McGregor just stepped inside the BKFC ring after Mike Perry gets a TKO win over Luke Rockhold at BKFC 41. The two former UFC fighters faced off in the main event of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) 41. The bout ended in the second round when Luke Rockhold refused to continue after absorbing some brutal punches from Perry in the second round.
Luke Rockhold and Mike Perry trade big shots at the end of Round 1 😱 #BKFC41
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) April 30, 2023
(via @FiteTV) pic.twitter.com/Y5YnECj3ul
Perry is now 3-0 in the BKFC ring and without a doubt, the win over Rockhold, who is a former UFC middleweight champion, is the biggest achievement of his fighting career. The event certainly had a lot of stars in attendance as Justin Gaethje and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone showed up to witness Platinum Perry put on a show. However, It was Conor McGregor who walked away with all the headlines due to his post-fight antics.
Conor McGregor faces off with Mike Perry with a BKFC belt on his shoulder
As previously mentioned, Conor McGregor was in the crowd for the event. It is normal for UFC or Bellator events to have superstars in the live crowd. However, having a cross-over superstar like Conor showing up for a BKFC event will no doubt put the promotion on the map for many more fans. However, the former UFC double champ did not only attend the event, he even went inside the ring.
In his post-fight interview, Mike Perry invited Conor McGregor to come inside the ring. Conor, who never shies away from the limelight, went inside the ring with a BKFC belt on his shoulder. However, it is unclear if it was a fake belt or if the promotion gave McGregor the real belt as a sign of goodwill. Regardless, Conor seemed really excited to have the belt and even exchanged some pleasantries with Perry before facing off against the 31-year-old.
Mike Perry told Conor that he was inspired by The Notorious One and in return, McGregor added that he respected Perry as well! However, being the elite competitor he is, Conor added, “I’ll fight you no problem lad. I ain’t never retiring, I ain’t never retiring.”
Mike Perry calls out Conor McGregor for a face-off and @TheNotoriousMMA accepts. He enters the ring with the BKFC title over his shoulder.#BKFC41 | LIVE on #FITE pic.twitter.com/DoCw7OZTZP
— FITE (@FiteTV) April 30, 2023
So what did McGregor think about the event? He revealed, “It’s an incredible setup here, incredible matchmaking, incredible storytelling, oh you had to come here. I flew straight away, I was not gonna miss this and it did not disappoint. All these fighters that step in here, are warriors and all have my respect. And, I’m into this game, yeah? I be into this yeah… How am I at the showing up here already and I’ve already got the belt? Come get it baby!”
While there would be a lot of interest in watching Conor and Mike go at it in a BKFC ring, Conor is under contract with the UFC. He will next grace the screen in the upcoming TUF 31 as a coach alongside Michael Chandler. Afterward, they will face off in a massive UFC PPV later in 2023.
Do you think McGregor is heading to BKFC following his UFC stint? Let us know in the comments down below.