CONOR MCGREGOR PAYS EMOTIONAL TRIBUTE TO 'TRUE WARRIOR' HE FOUGHT IN HISTORIC UFC TITLE FIGHT

Conor McGregor kept it classy in the immediate aftermath of BKFC KnuckleMania V.

The UFC legend and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship [BKFC] part-owner sat ringside to watch a wild card of fights in front of a record-breaking crowd at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday night.

Former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez got knocked out by Jeremey Stephens in the main event.

‘Notorious’ squared off with Stephens in the ring before paying tribute to Alvarez, whom he famously stopped with strikes inside two rounds to become the first dual-weight champion in UFC history nine years ago.

Conor McGregor praises Eddie Alvarez

After exiting the ring, Conor McGregor stopped to recap the main event with The Schmo.

“Phenomenal,” McGregor said when asked about Stephens’ performance.

“All the way through he’s been great. You know, he riled up the crowd, came in, got Eddie emotional, it’s worked in the past.”

The Irishman then turned his attention to Alvarez, who he shared the UFC Octagon with in November 2016.

McGregor added: “Eddie is a true warrior, as tough as it comes.

“A seasoned veteran. An accomplished fighter, and Jeremey whacked him out of there.

“So that was amazing, very good. Every fight was off the charts, no surprise. Bare Knuckle FC is here to say, 100 percent. Bare Knuckle FC, undeniable.”

Conor McGregor sends warning to boxers

Ahead of a truly sensational night of fights, McGregor sent a warning to boxers considering the switch to bare-knuckle.

The 36-year-old insisted a lot of them can successfully make the switch, but he warned that it’s an entirely different sport that only a special type of person can thrive in.

“You know, most of them, if not all of them [could find success],” McGregor said.   

“Do not get it twisted, it is bare-knuckle fighting, it is not boxing. The ruleset is slightly modified, and we have many influences of Division 1 All-American wrestlers, and you know, we’ve got Cuban Olympians that are involved in this sport.

“It’s a bit rougher and tougher than a boxing bout. You know, if you trained in boxing and you’re highly skilled in boxing, for sure it’s going to translate… But you’ve got to have something deep in you that not a lot of people have.”

“So, there’s only one way to find out, have you got it or not, and that’s testing yourself in the truest proving ground in fighting sport – and that’s it. So, let’s see how it goes.”

- Jordan Ellis

ANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: BRITISH HEAVYWEIGHT AND UFC ICON SIGN DEAL FOR TEN-ROUND FIGHT IN SAUDI ARABIA

Anthony Joshua will face UFC legend Francis Ngannou in his next fight, promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed.

Ngannou shocked the world on his professional boxing debut when he floored Tyson Fury last October, although the WBC heavyweight world champion ultimately won on points via split decision.

Ngannou impressed in his defeat to Fury and is now ready for Joshua

But Ngannou is back to take on another British heavyweight in Joshua, who won three times in 2023 as he rebuilds his career after losing his world titles and suffering successive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.

On Friday night news broke that both Joshua and Ngannou had signed a deal for the ten-round bout which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The showdown was confirmed by Joshua’s promoter Hearn, who said on X: "Tonight we confirm it’s a done deal! @anthonyjoshua v @francis_ngannou collide on a huge night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - press conference Jan 15 in London with full details dropping soon!"