McGregor says he'll move to bare-knuckle after his last UFC fight, not retire

Conor McGregor says his last UFC fight won't be a retirement. In a video posted on Instagram this week, he said he'll leave the UFC after his final contract fight. Then he plans to go bare-knuckle.

Asked whether he would debut in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), the promotion he part-owns, he said there was a "big chance." As Sherdog transcribed it:

"Big chance! Big chance! I'm gonna lay off my gloves in that octagon for my final UFC contract, but not to retire; to announce bare knuckle!"

According to Sherdog, the clip was filmed at a Hype event in Italy. No BKFC fight has been announced, and no comment from the UFC or BKFC has been reported.

McGregor also told the interviewer "I really enjoy bareknuckle fighting," according to MMA Junkie. Per Sherdog, he said bare-knuckle "takes more courage for me, I think, to get in." He also questioned his own motives: "maybe I'm just saying this because I had a bad time out the last time?"

What's new

Most of this was already known. McGregor has said he has one fight left on his UFC deal, though the UFC hasn't confirmed his contract terms. After UFC 329 in July, he named his target on Instagram as "(International Fight Week) 2027. The Last Dance," per theScore.

BKFC president David Feldman has said the same. In a Sun Sports interview this summer, he said finishing the UFC contract "clears him up for the ability to fight in the BKFC," per ClutchPoints. McGregor became a part owner of BKFC in April 2024, with Triller keeping the majority stake, according to ESPN.

What's new is McGregor saying it himself. He has never had a bare-knuckle fight. His only fight outside MMA was the 2017 boxing loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Where he stands

McGregor is 22-7 in MMA and 10-5 in the UFC, with three straight losses. He is 38. His last fight was his first in five years, since he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.

It lasted 69 seconds. His knee gave out on a jumping scissor kick in the opening seconds. Max Holloway won by TKO at 1:09 at UFC 329 on July 11. McGregor later said it was ACL and meniscus damage, and he announced surgery on August 3. He said it is "well within my realm to return by next summer," per Bleacher Report.

McGregor closed at +240, a 28% chance, against Holloway, according to our McGregor page. He has lost all three of his UFC fights since our odds begin in mid-2020: two against Poirier, one against Holloway. The closing prices implied about 1.5 wins across those three fights. He got none.

What comes next

There is no date or opponent for the last UFC fight. UFC CEO Dana White said on July 18 that there would be no talks until doctors clear McGregor, according to ESPN.

In July, McGregor said his next opponent "has to be Holloway." White's answer was "Not even thinking about it," per Newsweek. Holloway has no fight booked, according to our Holloway page.

We think the bare-knuckle plan matters less right now than the knee. The UFC won't talk about a fight until he's cleared, and Feldman has said BKFC's plans depend on how that fight goes.