Former UFC Star Turned BKFC Fighter Promises to ‘Rip Conor McGregor to Shreds’ in Ireland

Jeremy Stephens hasn’t forgotten his infamous exchange with Conor McGregor, and he’s making it clear, he still wants that fight. Now a rising force in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), the former UFC knockout artist has just defeated Eddie Alvarez. With momentum on his side, he is now setting his sights on the biggest name in combat sports: ‘The Notorious‘ himself.

In a fiery interview with Inside Fighting, Stephens sent a direct message to McGregor:

“Give me that f*cking opportunity bro, I’ll rip him to shreds… When it comes to bare knuckle bro, there’s nothing more than certainty that I will f*cking break him and I’ll go to Ireland.”

Stephens, who famously became the subject of McGregor’s legendary “Who da fook is that guy?” line during a UFC press conference, has clearly not let go of their rivalry. Now, with BKFC gaining mainstream attention, partly due to McGregor’s involvement in promoting the organization, Stephens sees a chance to settle the score on his terms.

While McGregor remains under UFC contract, his growing relationship with BKFC has fueled speculation about a potential in-ring move to bare-knuckle boxing in the future. Should that happen, Stephens wants to be first in line to welcome him to the ring, and he’s even willing to do it in McGregor’s own backyard.

But it’s difficult to say what ‘The Notorious’ will do next because he has been teasing a return for over 2 years now but to no avail. What was initially going to be a return to the UFC has now turned into a rumored return to the boxing ring against Logan Paul.

Whether or not the fight becomes a reality, one thing is certain: Stephens is determined to make sure McGregor never forgets his name. Not just the Irishman, Stephens is making sure that nobody forgets his name. The American has some high expectations about who he will fight next.

Stephens’ ambitious crossover plans

At this stage in his career, Stephens is all about the big money fights—and there are two names at the top of his list: Conor McGregor and Mike Perry.

Perry, the face of BKFC with his explosive performances, is the biggest star in the BKFC. For Stephens, the matchup makes perfect sense, as a collision between the two would likely draw massive attention and big paydays.

However, it seems he would still take the McGregor fight over Perry in a heartbeat. In an interview, Stephens elaborated on why the McGregor fight holds particular appeal, saying,

“That’s what makes the Conor fight interesting, the fact that Dana could hit me up right now or I could hit him up…. I can go do one fight in UFC and then since he’s part-owner, (one fight) in BKFC, lots of interesting things out there.”

The idea of a potential crossover between the UFC and BKFC adds an intriguing layer to the rivalry. However, the UFC hasn’t historically been inclined to be involved in cross-promotion events. So Stephens would really have to change White’s mind on that one.