David Feldman could approach UFC about Conor McGregor BKFC fight ‘in the next week or two’

BKFC boss David Feldman isn’t holding out hope that the UFC will loan Conor McGregor to his bare-knuckle fight promotion, but he figures there’s no harm in asking.

The former two-division UFC champ McGregor, who still has two fights left on his contract with the MMA promotion, recently became a part-owner of BKFC, and has been a recurring presence at its recent events.

He was front and centre at last weekend’s KnuckleMania 5 card in Philadelphia, and at the end of the night, got face-to-face with main event winner Jeremy Stephens, planting the seeds for a future clash in the BKFC ring.

The only problem is McGregor’s UFC contract. He remains the biggest star in MMA history, so the promotion surely isn’t going to give him up to a rival combat sports outfit. Not even if Feldman and UFC boss Dana White are on good terms.

Feldman knows that’s the reality of the situation, but is considering broaching the idea anyway, just in case. He opened up on the possibility on a recent episode of the Helwani Show.

Dave Feldman talks Conor McGregor.#HelwaniShow pic.twitter.com/bkOMTMdsTr

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) January 28, 2025

“Any time you get those kinds of moments it’s awesome, but I can’t do [a McGregor vs. Stephens fight] unless the UFC wanted to do something with us,” Feldman said. “They don’t need us for anything, but maybe they would, right? Other than that it doesn’t happen.

“We’re growing at a really great pace right now — not that they’re concerned about us,” Feldman added. “They’re not. If something like [a McGregor fight] happens, it just moves us up five or 10 more pegs. I don’t think that they want to help us grow, and I think that helps us grow tremendously, but who knows? It is worth a shot. Maybe we’ll take that shot in the next week or two.”

Conor McGregor ‘definitely’ fighting in BKFC in the future

It’s very unlikely the UFC would agree to let McGregor fight elsewhere. They literally just forbid him from fighting one of the Paul brothers in India. However, Feldman is convinced it’s something the Irish MMA star wants badly, so he’s willing to give it a shot.

“He wants it,” Feldman said. “He says ‘I have two fights left and then we’re going to do it, I’m definitely fighting here.’ He says it all the time.”

“He did tell me to make the date [for the Stephens fight]. Obviously there’s a lot that would go into making that date, but wow.”

One way or the other, Feldman expects to fight again soon. Whether it’s in the UFC or the BKFC ring, it’ll be the first time the Irishman has fought since he broke his leg in a 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier.

“Conor does need to fight, and I think he’s going to fight soon,” Feldman said. “I think he’s getting in shape. He looks better. When I saw him he looks different, he looks like he’s taking it more seriously now. I think you’re going to see Conor back this year, probably not in bare knuckles, but that would be amazing.”