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

76ERS' MCCAIN OUT OF HOSPITAL AFTER FALL IN PRESEASON GAME

PHILADELPHIA -- 76ers first-round pick Jared McCain was released from the hospital Thursday morning after taking a hard fall late in Wednesday's preseason victory over the Brooklyn Nets, according to the team.

McCain was hospitalized to be evaluated for a concussion, among other things, after he had appeared to struggle to catch his breath on the court.

The 76ers said McCain would be reevaluated later Thursday.

"It was rough," 76ers coach Nick Nurse said after the game. "He's going to the hospital to get checked out. Obviously, he was having trouble breathing there, maybe got the wind knocked out of him, not sure what was going on there, but never quite seen one like that before, so let's hope he's OK and see what the report is from the hospital."

McCain, who finished with 9 points and 7 rebounds in 23 minutes, drove to the basket in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter and, after colliding with a Nets defender, fell back and appeared to smack his head and back sharply on the floor at Wells Fargo Center.

He remained down for several minutes, coughing and appearing to struggle to catch his breath, before eventually getting to his feet and being helped off the court.

McCain, 20, was the 16th pick in June's NBA draft out of Duke and has averaged 12.8 points and 4.6 rebounds across five preseason games for the 76ers this month.

- Tim Bontemps, ESPN

SIXERS REPORTEDLY TALKING 'ALL POTENTIAL OPTIONS SERIOUSLY' WITH NEW ARENA, 'INCLUDING [NEW JERSEY]'

Could the Sixers’ efforts to get a new arena land them on the Camden Waterfront? It seems like it might be picking up steam.

Last week, the city of Philadelphia put out an independent study regarding the Sixers’ proposal for a new arena at Market East in Center City.

While most of the study helped the Sixers’ cause, the biggest sticking point continues to be the project’s impact on Chinatown. We highlighted those concerns in a previous post.

If the end result is that the city chooses not to green light 76 Place, it will be the second time the Sixers tried to build a new arena within the city. The previous unsuccessful attempt was a couple years ago when the team proposed an arena near Penn’s Landing. The city instead awarded the land to the New York-based Durst Organization. The Durst Organization has yet to begin development.

The Sixers are in a tight spot if they want to get their new arena done by 2031 when their lease at the Wells Fargo Center ends.

With options dwindling in the city of Philadelphia, could the team look across the Delaware River? A report from ROI-NJ’s Tom Bergeron is giving legs to the idea that the Sixers could turn to Camden and the state of New Jersey to meet their needs.

Bergeron has previously reported that Governor Phil Murphy would welcome the Sixers with open arms — and why not? Bringing an NBA franchise to South Jersey would be a huge boon for the state, specifically the city of Camden. The Sixers already have their state-of-the-art practice facility on the waterfront. Harris-Blitzer Sports & Entertainment already owns the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. New Jersey also hosts two NFL teams in the Giants and Jets (those teams still carry “New York” in front of their names, for what it’s worth). The dots aren’t difficult to connect.

While HBSE would still fund the construction of a new arena in New Jersey, they could be eligible for significant tax breaks, per Bergeron.

“The project, which would be self-financed by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (the entity that owns the Sixers), would be eligible for hundreds of millions of dollars in tax incentives.

Because the project would contain both an arena and a full-scale mixed-use component, HBSE could be eligible to receive two Aspire tax credits worth up to $400 million each.

In addition, the Governor’s Office aims to work with the Legislature to enable the structuring of up to $500 million of special-purpose bonds supported by fees and surcharges on tickets, concessions and parking (meaning there will be no impact to New Jersey taxpayers) to support the development of an arena.”

Jersey wants the Sixers and it sure sounds like the Sixers are more open to wanting Jersey with each setback with the city of Philadelphia.

- Paul Hudrick