CONOR McGREGOR has been welcomed to making a switch to bare-knuckle boxing after striking a sponsorship deal.
McGregor’s Forged Irish Stout is now partnered with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
BKFC Conor McGregor with BKFC founder David Feldman[/caption]
The Irishman himself talked up the idea of one day taking the gloves off for a brutal bout with exposed fists.
In 2017, he crossed over to the boxing ring to face Floyd Mayweather, losing in ten rounds but making around £100million in doing so.
The UFC gave McGregor special permission to do so and co-promoted the money-spinning spectacle.
So it leaves BKFC founder David Feldman refusing to rule out the 35-year-old stepping into the world of bare-knuckle boxing.
He told SunSport: “Look, theoretically he can’t because he’s under contract with the UFC and we actually have a great relationship with the UFC.
“But I think Conor plays by a different set of rules any maybe there’s a way to partner on an event, who knows?
“But as far as us doing it by ourselves, I don’t think that ever happens. But maybe a collaboration? It could happen, he likes it.”
McGregor was ringside in April when his former opponents Eddie Alvarez, 40, and Chad Mendes, 38, fought at BKFC 41.
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Later that night, ex-UFC star Mike Perry, 32, defeated Luke Rockhold, 39, and McGregor jumped in the ring afterwards for a face off.
Feldman said: “They’d both stand there and bang and Mike Perry talks good, Conor talks good and it wold be really, really fun to watch.
“There’s a lot of guys out there too. A lot of guys in the UFC that would be fun; Justin Gaethje, he would be really fun to watch here.
“I think Conor versus Mike Perry, the whole world would tune in.”
McGregor paraded around with a BKFC championship belt and squared up to their biggest star in Perry.
And it gave Feldman quite possibly the greatest bit of marketing possible.
He said: “It’s huge and since that time we were able to sign a deal with him for his Forged Irish Stout, which is now a sponsor of ours.
“He’s going to be an ambassador and it was a great thing. He liked what he saw, it’s had not to like it if you’re a real fighter.
“It’s hard not to get excited about it and he got excited about it. Now it’s turned into a good relationship.
“It’s amazing, you’ve got the number one combat sports guy in the whole entire world who likes your product and want to be involved with you in some shape or form.”
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Mike Perry squaring up to Conor McGregor[/caption]