Conor McGregor wants to see Justin Gaethje fight in the Bre Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) one day. In a recent interview, the former two-division UFC champion, who recently became a part-owner of the BKFC said that he saw the bare-knuckle promotion as the natural place for UFC veterans to go after their UFC career is over.

The Irishman, gearing up to face Michael Chandler at UFC 302 on June 28, felt that UFC fighters moving to other MMA promotions hasn’t worked for them, and pointed out that the novelty and inherent nature of bare-knuckle boxing would make for a much more buzz-worthy home for the vets like Gaethje.

“We’ve seen former UFC champions, our UFC veterans move to another mixed martial arts fight promotion and do this. We’ve seen him fight MMA all their career, and now they’re fighting MMA still. It doesn’t get the pop for me,” he said.

“Now let’s take Justin Gaethje, who’s a UFC veteran, former BMF holder… Take him, let’s put him in bare-knuckle. That’s exciting, that is really really exciting. Now let’s take him and put him in another MMA organization, not so much… It’s different, it actually blends well with the UFC, which I’m very very happy about,” he added.

And while the BKFC may be one of the younger fight promotions, and stands as an island in the martial arts landscape, a fair few former UFC champions have tried their hand at the fledgling sport. For instance, the biggest star in the sport, ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry, like Conor McGregor in MMA, has become the face of bare-knuckle boxing, is himself a former UFC welterweight.

Former UFC champions Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez have tried their hand at the sport, although none have reached the heights of stardom in it, or have achieved as much as Perry, who is currently 6-0 in the promotion. And ‘Platinum’, a minority stakeholder in the promotion just like McGregor is clear: he wants to fight the Irishman at the BKFC once ‘Mac’s UFC contract is up.

Why some think Conor McGregor will fight at the BKFC soon

As he sets up for what many think will be an uphill battle against Michael Chandler, Conor McGregor has two fights left on his current UFC contract. Still UFC’s biggest superstar, despite the recent decline in his abilities as a fighter, the Dana White-led promotion is unlikely to do everything they can to re-sign the flamboyant Dubliner simply because of how much money he makes them.

However, with McGregor acquiring a minority ownership stake in the BKFC, some think the UFC is making castles in the air if it thinks McGregor will extend his contract with them. And this view does seem to have quite a lot of merit as ‘Mac’ seemingly has a more lucrative alternative to the UFC. Instead, he may join the BKFC for one very simple reason: money. ‘Mac’s equity stake in the promotion means that the more it grows in valuation, the more money McGregor’s shares are worth.

And what better way to create some real buzz and popularize the BKFC than one of combat sport’s biggest stars fighting the already legendary Mike Perry on it after his UFC contract is up? And the American is game to face the Irishman in the ring if McGregor wants.

“I think Conor, it’s hard to say that nothing won’t end well for Conor. And the thing about me in bare-knuckle boxing is, you know, it’s always ending well for me as well, so when you get two guys in the ring like that, I mean, you’re talking a heavy magnitude fight here,” Perry said recently. What are your thoughts on McGregor and his relationship with the BKFC?