Conor McGregor is returning to the UFC and has also been a figurehead promotional element within BKFC lately, and one of the bare-knuckle champions within that stable has offered thoughts on McGregor's comeback bout.Â
Franco met ‘The Notorious' at the BKFC Italy press conference that led to ‘Bon Bon' winning a high-stakes trilogy bout with Jimmy Sweeney. As he touched on his viewpoints regarding McGregor's rematch with Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11th, Franco said [via Bare Knuckle Bowker],
“Yeah, it's amazing to have Conor McGregor obviously in BKFC sharing his positive energy. It's great to have him involved. But yeah, it's going to be good to see him back. I'm glad he's coming back in the game. I think people like Conor needs it. All us fighters need a focus because if we ain't got fighting, there's not much we have got cuz that's all we know. That's all I know.â€
“If I didn't fight, obviously luckily I've got a gym now, but it would probably send me off the rails and I'd be going insane. I'd be trying to find things to do. So, obviously having that focus in training, definitely the best thing for Conor McGregor and he's looking in good shape. He's put his head down. He's put in the work. So, it's going to be a very good fight against Max. Max is a beast. I'm also a good fan, but obviously team McGregor. Hopefully, he's going to get the job done. Big knockout.â€
Conor McGregor seems like someone who can hold onto a grudge, as evidenced by taking the time to venemously target former rival Khabib Nurmagomedov, even though the latter has been retired for several years now. Despite their highly hyped grudge match at UFC 229 in 2018, there is clearly no love lost for ‘The Notorious'. During a fight week interview with Complex before this Holloway sequel, McGregor said [via Bloody Elbow],
“Come on, the guy [Nurmagomedov] has done nothing in the sport. 13 fights he's had in the company and three against name opponents, he had a fight with me and I was coming off the yacht. I was doing bad things on the yacht, yeah? I don't even want to say – I was partying heavy, I was up to my eyeballs in court cases and all of this. I hadn't fought in two years, I was worth $200 million, I come back and fight this f**ing guy. I did four rounds with him, I had a broken toe.â€
“I'm sure you've seen the Netflix show where I broke my foot three weeks before the bout, this guy is nothing. And where is he now also? He's gone. So I don't rate him at all, no courage, the man has succumbed to his pain and it is a damned shame! I have nothing to say to him, nothing to say about him, I don't rate him… Never fought above weight divisions, missed weight, three [major] fights, no stoppages, no knockouts.â€
“Come on, man. How many knockouts has he got? Three or four [Nurmagomedov scored two KOs in the UFC and six outside of it]. You must be mad if you think I'm going to waste my time watching that s***. His first half of his work was fighting on his father's shows in the middle of nowhere in wherever he is from, right? He's 12-0, the opponent he's fighting is 0-0! This isn't boxing, I do not rate him.â€
Khamzat
Chimaev could finally return to action in Abu Dhabi.
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana
White indicated that the middleweight is being considered, like
many fighters, for
UFC 333, although no bout has been finalized.
Khamzat Chimaev pushes for UFC return as Dana White weighs UFC
333 in Abu Dhabi
Chimaev recently took to social media, seemingly eager to return to
the Octagon.
“What are we waiting for? I want to fight,†he wrote on X while
tagging the UFC boss.
White addressed Chimaev’s future following
Week 2 of
Dana White's Contender Series 2026 after being asked about the
X post from the former champion calling for a return to action.
“I didn’t see it,†White said. “Yeah, I mean, he’s always in
conversation to fight. The whole roster is. I mean, everybody, in a
perfect world, everybody fights three times a year.â€
Chimaev lost the middleweight title to Sean
Strickland earlier this year, suffering the first loss of his
professional career. While he initially hinted at a move up to
light heavyweight after the defeat, “Borz†has been calling for a
rematch with Strickland for the past few months.
Furthermore, UFC 333, scheduled for Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena on Yas
Island, already has two title bouts and a stacked main card.
Alexander
Volkanovski is set to defend his featherweight title against
Movsar
Evloev and Petr Yan will
run it back with Merab
Dvalishvili in a trilogy clash for the bantamweight strap on
the card, leaving little room for another championship bout.
What are we waiting for? I want to fight @danawhite
pic.twitter.com/k5btIqshzd
Dana
White isn’t interested in getting dragged into the latest round
of Tyson
Fury-Anthony
Joshua negotiations and has little patience for Eddie Hearn's
comments.
Reports recently surfaced claiming Fury and Joshua have agreed to
meet Nov. 20 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. When asked
about the reported date and venue, the
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO offered a noncommittal
response before turning his attention to Hearn.
UFC CEO Dana White brushes off Eddie Hearn during Tyson
Fury-Anthony Joshua negotiations
Speaking after
Week 2 of
Dana White's Contender Series 2026, White responded to reports
of Joshua-Fury negotiations and recent comments from Hearn.
White was asked about reports that Hearn still wants the fight
staged in the United Kingdom and had raised the possibility of
legal action if Joshua were booked without a contractual agreement.
The UFC boss said he has largely stopped paying attention to
Hearn’s public comments.
“I stopped listening to Eddie Hearn about three months ago,†White
said. “Is there anybody more full of sh*t than this guy? Come
on.â€
The exchange came after White was asked whether he was involved in
an expected announcement next week regarding the heavyweight
showdown.
“I don’t know. You might want to ask the promoters of the fight,â€
White said before adding, “I’m not going to play these games with
these f*cking guys. You know what I mean? Let’s see what
happens.â€
Kaik
Brito had some tricks up his sleeve in his fight against
Namo
Fazil.
Brito (20-6) took on a surging Fazil in a welterweight matchup in
the main event of
Week 2 of
Dana White's Contender Series 2026. While Brito looked
dangerous early in the fight, Fazil's pressure put him on the back
foot as the bout progressed.
However, Brito shut Fazil's lights off with a vicious right hand
early in the third round to earn an
Ultimate Fighting Championship contract. He notably planned to
pull off the finish right in front of UFC CEO Dana
White.
Kaik Brito details Namo Fazil knockout that secured UFC
contract
Brito knows that it looked like he was leaving everything in the
Octagon in the back-and-forth bout. However, the Brazilian claims
he was waiting for the right moment.
In the final round, when his back was against the cage, Brito
noticed he was fighting close to White. That's when he decided to
launch the missile of a right hand that flattened Fazil. He also
says he is ready to make his UFC debut as soon as possible.
“I move different,†Brito said in the post-fight interview. “I cut
angles in a completely different way. And throughout the fight, it
looked like I was going for it all. Believe me, I was saving some
things; I knew I was gonna need it at the end. And I saw Dana right
there, I thought, ‘I'm gonna do this right in front of the boss.
He's gonna see it.' I'm gonna be ready… I want to fight as soon as
possible.â€
Brito came up short against Oban
Elliott in his first DWCS opportunity in 2023. He then went 3-1
on the regional circuit, finishing all of those wins to earn
another shot at a UFC contract.
Muy emocionado habla el vencedor Kaik Brito
luego del brutal KO 💥#DWCS
| En vivo por Paramount + Deportes pic.twitter.com/kmxyMhESFk
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