Conor McGregor signs deal to become part-owner of BARE KNUCKLE boxing promotion ahead of his UFC return

Conor McGregor made his co-ownership of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship official by signing his contract on Thursday.

The former two-division UFC champion welcomed BKFC president David Feldman to his Black Forge Inn in Dublin as McGregor ceremoniously signed on the dotted line.

In a video posted to Feldman and the promotion’s Instagram, McGregor excitedly put pen to paper on his deal and said, “Rocket to the moon, brother. Take off the gloves and fight b****.”

After The Notorious signed his autograph, the pair shook hands and posed for photos.

“Time to take this thing to the stratosphere,” Feldman captioned with a rocket emoji. “@TheNotoriousMMA is all in.”

In 2023, McGregor attended a BKFC event and took on former UFC star Mike Perry

The Irishman announced his latest venture in a video during BKFC’s KnuckleMania 4 card in Los Angeles on April 27. The new deal will make McGregor Sports and Entertainment co-owner of the promotion, with Triller retaining majority ownership in BKFC.

Feldman memorably invited McGregor to one of his 2023 cards – which ended with an impromptu showdown with BKFC star Mike Perry following his knockout of Luke Rockhold.

Since its founding in 2018, the controversial promotion has attracted other former UFC stars, including Eddie Alvarez, Chad Mendes and Paige VanZant.

While his investment in bare-knuckle fighting adds to McGregor’s business portfolio, his highly anticipated return to the Octagon has been announced for UFC 303 on June 29.

After more than a year of negotiations and the return of its biggest star hanging over fans’ heads, UFC chief Dana White announced McGregor’s fight against Michael Chandler after UFC 300 in April. McGregor has not seen action in MMA since breaking his tibia against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.

McGregor has two fights left in his UFC contract. With the fight against Iron Mike scheduled, he indicated that he wanted to conclude his trilogy against Nate Diaz in the future.

McGregor will make his UFC return against Michael Chandler on June 29

McGregor has not fought since breaking his tibia in the loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021

McGregor has won one of his last four UFC fights, including back-to-back losses to Poirier

Unfortunately, that may prove to be a challenge after the Stockton native left the organization for boxing in 2022.

After teasing BKFC’s fanbase last year, McGregor said he wanted to compete bare-knuckle at some point in his career. Whether he steps into their ring as a competitor or not, Feldman expressed his excitement about McGregor’s involvement with the organization.

“Look, you have the greatest man in all of martial arts right now as a co-owner of our company,” Feldman said during the broadcast of KnuckleMania 4. “I think it will move the needle in a big way. We’re going to do a lot of big things. We are going to tap into many new markets.

“Look, we’re partners with Conor McGregor,” Feldman continued. “Everyone in the martial arts world, everyone in the world knows who that guy is. So Conor, thank you, and let’s blow this up.’