Dana White expressed interest in being the promoter for the highly anticipated tech mogul fight between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, which was planned to take place at the Colosseum in Italy. However, the fight fell through due to obvious reasons, and since then, the UFC CEO has not revisited the idea of hosting an event in Italy. Well, Dana White might not be interested in Italy, but that’s not the case for Conor McGregor.

The former UFC dual-weight champion of the world earlier announced that the BKFC – where ‘The Notorious’ is a part owner- will be making their debut in the Southern EU nation in April this year. Well, BKFC’s initial Italy event will be taking place in Florence, however, no dates have been announced for the marquee event.

Hyping up the event even more, the former UFC champ took to his IG handle to add a promotional video on his story for the Florence event and captioned it as, “Italy, we are coming #BAREKNUCKLESGLADIATORS.” Well, the Italian crowd might be expecting action-packed fights from the BKFC as Conor McGregor has clinched Maori sensation Haze Hepi to make his debut at the Florence event.

Last year, the former UFC champ shared the news on his Instagram handle with a caption that read, “Excited to see this Māori tribesman make his bare-knuckle debut in Italy!” It must be noted that Hepi and McGregor share an old relationship as, back in 2023, the Maori fighter gifted a traditional ko͏rowai, ͏made by ͏Kiwi Girl CreationZ, to McGregor in a representation of respect. The former UFC champ gladly embraced the Maori culture, making Hepi happy.

With a net worth of $411 million, BKFC is the world’s fastest-growing combat sports promotion. They might not be a direct challenger to the UFC’s dominance, but with time, David Feldman’s promotion may put a dent in the UFC’s throne. Well, interestingly, after Conor McGregor, another huge sports personality has come forward to invest in the promotion.

After Conor McGregor, an NFL star joins BKFC

Last year in April, Conor McGregor became a part of the BKFC by announcing his investment through his entertainment company and since then the former UFC champ has been promoting BKFC. However, approximately a year after McGregor’s investment in the promotion, another star power has joined the BKFC management panel, and it’s none other than Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby.

In a press statement, Crosby asserted, “Bare knuckle fighting is raw, real, and incredibly engaging for fans. I have always been passionate about combat sports. I see BKFC as a platform that not only showcases incredible skill, talent, and athleticism of these fighters but also brings a unique and authentic experience to combat sports enthusiasts.”

The Las Vegas Raider star is anticipated to take on a similar role to that of former UFC champ Conor McGregor. Interestingly, ‘Mystic Mac himself took cognizance of Maxx Crosby’s inclusion and stated, “I am thrilled for Maxx to join me as an owner of BKFC. He is the epitome of hard work and perseverance that is the backbone of BKFC.” 

With more and more people joining the BKFC, UFC might have to be the epitome of MMA. Regardless, what’s your take on the hubbub? State your thoughts in the comments below.