Conor McGregor rules out bare-knuckle fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov
Conor McGregor has ruled out a potential clash with rival Khabib Nurmagomedov in a bare-knuckle fight, after claiming that his Russian rival would never be open to the stipulation. McGregor and Nurmagomedov's rivalry dates back to their infamous bout in at UFC 229, all the way back in 2018.
Whilst many fans remember their clash for the brawl that took place following the Russian's win, the bad-blood between the two had been spilling for months, after the Irishman attacked the UFC bus Nurmagomedov was on.
The pair had then been touted for a highly anticipated rematch inside the octagon, however, 'The Eagle' called time on his career in 2020.
Whilst in MMA it is typically safe to never rule anything out, Conor McGregor is all but certain if a rematch was to happen between him and Khabib Nurmagomedov, it won't take place inside a BKFC ring.
Speaking at his first BKFC press conference this week since becoming a partner/investor in April, 'The Notorious' was asked whether he'd be open to BKFC clash against Nurmagomecov. He responded:
"Who the f*ck is that? Who the f*ck is that guy? Hahaha! The guy [Nurmagomedov] won't even fight. The thing that attracts me to this game is that these are bad men and woman in this company ready to fight."
Catch McGregor's comments here:
Dana White fears Conor McGregor may follow the same path as Ronda Rousey
Dana White believes Conor McGregor's financial success could spell the end for his MMA career, comparing his current situation to that of Ronda Rousey.
During her career in the UFC, 'Rowdy' shot t\o the forefront of women's MMA and is often credited as major factor as to why women's MMA is as big as it is today. With her octagon success, however, also came monetary gain, which the UFC president believes marked the end of Rousey's fighting career.
Speaking to Shaquille O'Neal on a recent episode of his The Big Podcast, White compared McGregor's success to Rousey's. He noted that due to the Irishman being a far bigger star, he wouldn't be suprised if he called it a day soon. He said:
"The Conor thing is, much like Ronda. If you look like Ronda, so many opportunities fell on Ronda because of who she was...It ended up being her downfall, the money and everything else...She doesn't have to work, she doesn't have to do anything...Conor McGregor is 10x that. When that kind of money becomes involved in the fight business, it's tough man."
Catch Dana White's comments here: