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€
Valter
Walker claims he can dismantle Josh Hokit's
character.
Hokit has gained attention by playing the
Ultimate Fighting Championship's latest heel. He has gone on a
series of rants while claiming to be possessed by his alter ego,
“The Incredible Hok.†The undefeated heavyweight contender recently
took aim at Alex
Pereira, Tom
Aspinall and Ilia
Topuria, drawing a reaction from Walker.
Valter Walker says Josh Hokit couldn’t handle him at a UFC
press conference
Walker noted that Hokit never took a dig at him. The Brazilian
believes Hokit avoids provoking him because he wouldn't be able to
handle him in a verbal back-and-forth. Walker claims he could send
the American's alter ego to hell the moment they start trading
barbs at a press conference.
“There’s no my name in there, u know why?†Walker wrote on X.
“Because he wouldn’t be able to stand listening to me at a press
conference or anywhere else, cause that character would go straight
to f*cking hell when I start. U are real cute, taco boy.â€
Hokit (10-0) has finished three of his four UFC wins, helping earn
him a title shot in the heavyweight division. He is scheduled to
challenge Ciryl Gane
(14-2) for the heavyweight title at UFC
334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Meanwhile,
Walker (16-1) has finished five straight fights with leg-based
submissions since suffering his lone professional loss in his UFC
debut in 2024.
Theres ‘s no my name in there, u know why?
Because he wouldnt be able to stand listening me at a press
conference or anywhere else, cause that character would go straight
to fucking hell when i start. U are real cute, taco boy. https://t.co/qmhZsWUzsA
Hernandez earned his
Ultimate Fighting Championship contract with a submission win
on
Dana White's Contender Series earlier this month. He then made
a 10-day turnaround, stepping up on two days' notice for his UFC
debut against Sedriques
Dumas at
UFC Vegas 121.
“The Stache†earned a $100,000 performance bonus for forcing Dumas
to tap to a guillotine choke in under a minute. The Miami-Dade
Sheriff's Office deputy is looking to stay active in two divisions
and wants to become a household name.
Luis Hernandez wants to fight at middleweight and welterweight
after his unbeaten UFC start
Hernandez's short-notice UFC debut came at light heavyweight.
However, he wants to primarily compete at middleweight while
occasionally dropping to welterweight. The 30-year-old wants to
stay active and become a household name before turning his
attention to championship aspirations.
“I'm a company man,†Hernandez said on the “Deep Waters†podcast.
“I'm gonna make the fights happen. Any weight class you call me,
I’m about that money… I want to pull a Kevin
Holland and do both 170 and 185. I do want to go up the
rankings, but I want to become first a household name.â€
Hernandez holds a 9-0 record, with all nine of his victories coming
by stoppage.
Luis
Hernandez wants to fight at both middleweight and welterweight
to build up his name in the UFC
“Any weight class you call me, I’m about that money… I want to
pull a Kevin
Holland and do both 170 and 185. I do want to go up the
rankings, but I first want to become a… pic.twitter.com/qbttTIp0KS
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
September 28, 2026
Raoni Barcelos released a video from his hospital bed almost 48 hours after his scary defeat to Raul Rosas Jr. to confirm he's “doing well†and already anticipates a “stronger†return.
Barcelos had his five-fight winning streak snapped in the main event of UFC Vegas 121, which went down this past Saturday at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, after collapsing unconscious in the fifth round in his bantamweight clash. The 39-year-old veteran shared a short statement Monday morning to say he was “doing great,†and thank fans on a video post hours later.
“Hey everyone, how's it going?†Barcelos said in Portuguese. “I'm here to send you a message and let you know that I'm doing well. I'm doing really well and undergoing all the exams here at the hospital. This is just the hospital's protocol, so I have to go through all of them. That's it, guys. I want to thank everyone for all the prayers and all the kind messages. Please keep sending that positive energy.â€
Barcelos was ahead in the scorecards and likely three minutes away from a decision win — had they gone the distance — before passing out in the clinch and needing immediate medical assistance, getting transported to a local hospital. Rosas Jr. was declared the winner by technical knockout.
“We move forward, on to the next one,†Barcelos said. “I gave everything I had inside that cage. Like I said before, I was only leaving that cage if I was carried out, and that's exactly how it happened. It wasn't the way I wanted it to be. I wanted to become champion and leave with the victory, but God knows everything. So we move on to the next one.
“I'm here, doing well. I'll be back, and I'll come back stronger. And I want to send all of you a kiss and a big hug. Thank you so much for everything. Thank you, and let's keep moving forward!â€