Admittedly satisfied with what he’s achieved inside the octagon, Conor McGregor now has only two goals in life – become the President of Ireland and make BKFC an enviable phenomenon. The Irish Presidency seems unlikely, but his involvement with the BKFC definitely has made the brand ‘global.’ McGregor now promises to not only have a seat at the table but take everybody’s lunch money to boot.
McGregor, who retains two fights on his current Octagon contract, struck an ownership deal with the BKFC last year and is seen as a promotional figurehead with towering ambitions.
In that spirit, he has warned that veteran fighters wouldn’t automatically achieve success in the promotion. Claiming combatants can’t just treat the BKFC as an old folks’ home, the Dubliner stressed bare-knuckle combat was the toughest gig out there in this part of the world.
“Understand some of these boxing organization fighters. And some of these mixed martial artists think they’re just gonna rosy on and mosey on over here and it’s going to be all sweet,” McGregor told assembled media after BKFC 70. “And it’s a little retirement package. Think again. This is as real as it, this is as real as it gets.”, he added.
The Irishman also set the record straight for any competitors like Dana White’s UFC, claiming that the promotion had no equal to be measuring up to in matters of growth.
“Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and nothing in the space of combat sport comes close,” he explained. “We have popped every other promotion like a lead balloon. Bare Knuckle is on top, we’re on the rise, we’re going global”, the former UFC champ added.
However, as of yet, McGregor’s claims are unlikely to unsettle the UFC. Boasting a massive near-monopoly on the MMA world, White and co likely have very little to worry about.
And while PPV buys and streaming partner issues in the midst of other debates like ‘lack of star power’ continue to be a sour subject, they are all a long way from making a sizeable dent to the promotion.
That said, the BKF’s growth has truly been impressive, and while it is a few years away from being a true headache for the UFC boss, the bare-knuckle promotion has been growing rapidly.
BKFC flaunts net worth despite lack of profits
Brain child of David Feldman, the BKFC came into existence in 2018. In 7 years since, its net worth has swolled up to $400 million, according to a report by Forbes.
Do note that as it is with startups, BKFC is yet to be turning over profits. Earlier last year, in an interview, Feldman had claimed that the company still had half a year to become profitable. This was in October, which means 2025 is when the promotion is looking to rake in some extra cash.
“I’m not going to give you all my numbers, but since year one, 2018, we’ve doubled our revenue year over year over year. This year we went up about 150%, and we’re projecting a 200% [increase] in 2025”, Feldman had
said.
Interestingly, the promotion has also been signing contracts with fighters that guarantees them money. For BKFC Knucklemania IV, bare-knuckle legend Mike Perry is reported to have made a flat $600,000, more than what most UFC main events make in disclosable income.
So, it does seem to be attracting top fighters for a very good reason. Of course, the UFC will still have access to the masses in a way that BKFC won’t have for a few years.
But policies like guaranteed payments are expected to bring top talent to their ranks – something the UFC has been lagging behind in for the last few years.
