McGregor pokes the bear with BKFC

Conor McGregor has eyed Jeremy Stephens in the Bare-Knuckle Fight Championships.

According to BoxingNews.com, McGregor appeared at KnuckleMania V over the weekend.

Stephens faced off against Eddie Alvarez. Stephens came up victorious in the third round.

McGregor proceeded to interrupt Stephens’ post-fight interview and challenged Stephens for a fight.

Stephens then reacted in the post-fight interview and had plenty to say about the matter.

“Old Cocaine Conor. He’s got a long path, bro. It’s all good promotion. I love it. I love coming in right in front of his face and having him doubt me. [And] I feel like (David) Feldman and him were up against me,” Stephens said. “Everybody was up against me. I came to another city. To feel this kind of resolve. Like (Israel) Adesanya said, everybody doubted me. Everybody had me out. I went up to somebody else’s city and took out another king,”

Stephens continued, “He said I wasn’t a champion, but it ain’t hardware that makes you a champion. It’s heart. It’s grit. [And] It’s resilience. It’s persistence. It’s willing to take a pay cut to make a delusion a reality. I bring my pain to purpose. You guys don’t know what the [HELL] I had to deal with to get here. You’ll never know. But if feels [bloody] good, dude. It feels good to be in this moment. Buttcheeks McGregor, that’s the one. That’s the money fight, bro. But I’ve been telling you guys, bro. … Put some respect on my name. Then he got knocked out by Poirier. I’ve got power. I’ve got calf kicks. But when it comes to bareknuckle, bro, no one is beating me.”

BKFC President Dave Feldman has confirmed that McGregor is serious about fighting Stephens.

“As I was walking out of the arena, Conor actually tapped me on the shoulder and told me to make sure that I tell everybody that he’s fighting Jeremy Stephens in BKFC. That’s what he said. I don’t know if it’s happening, but Conor McGregor told me he’s fighting Jeremy Stephens in bare-knuckle,” Feldman said,

It is worth mentioning that McGregor is part-owner of BKFC, meaning he has more leverage when it comes to putting fights together.

It is unclear if McGregor will need permission from the UFC to fight BKFC.