“Come and get it, baby, come and get the strap, baby!” Those were Conor McGregor’s words after the BKFC 41 main event, fired off with his signature bravado. But what was he really offering? A return to action? A championship chase? Or just another headline-grabbing moment? As it turns out, not every McGregor face-off happens organically.

Speaking on the OverDogs Podcast with Stephen Thompson, Mike Perry admitted he deliberately set up a moment with the Irishman back at the 2023 marquee BKFC event after he viciously slayed Luke Rockhold, one that instantly sent the internet buzzing. “I made him (Donald Cerrone) a little mad too,” Perry recalled. “Because when I beat Luke, him [Cowboy] and Conor were there, and they told me in the back like, ‘Oh, maybe call out Cowboy.”

The verbose fighter revealed how he ignored advice to call out Cerrone and instead went straight for the biggest name in the room. “I was like man, Conor is here, people go crazy for Conor. I’m like, ‘Hey, Conor, give me a face-off, dude.’ It was the best thing I could have done.” And just like that, Perry had inserted himself into the McGregor universe, ensuring prime-time exposure with a single request.

Not that Platinum was looking for trouble. Unlike some of McGregor’s past rivals, he wasn’t after insults and mind games. “We can compete and see who’s better,” he said, keeping it respectful while still playing the game. But McGregor, ever the puppeteer, used the moment to send his own message, “I never retire.” That was 2 years ago.

Fad forward to July 20, 2024 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Mike Perry put it all on the line in a boxing match with Jake Paul. In a valiant effort, the UFC veteran gave everything he had to try and claim the victory. But ultimately, he was too small and too inexperienced, succumbing to a sixth-round knockout defeat. The loss enraged none other than the Irishman who almost instantly claimed he’d fired the American from BKFC. However, as time has gone on, he’s somewhat reconsidered his position.

When asked whether Perry is still fired, ‘The Notorious’ answered in the affirmative. However, the former 2x UFC champion conceded that he’s potentially willing to give the fan-favorite another shot, claiming that Platinum’s scared of one of the promotion’s champions. In an interview with The Schmo, McGregor said, “Mike [Perry] is fired, but we’re in negotiations.”

In the latest scheme of things, the Irishman put forward his intentions for a slugfest for the nth time. At the recently concluded BKFC Italy presser, McGregor hinted at a bout with Perry yet again. “If you think I’m up here giving these speeches and leading these men into battle and I won’t step in there myself, think again. I would wish to be the Bare Knuckle world champion… There are many bouts, showcase bouts. You could say, Mike Perry. You could say, Jeremy Stephens. You could say a rematch against Eddie Alvarez. You could say many matches. But the lightweight title, who’s the champion right now, lightweight, welterweight, let’s see. I am open. We will see when it comes.”

But as we have seen for a couple of years, ‘Mystic Mac’ hasn’t really backed his talk. He’s still sticking to that line though the whole ‘actually fighting’ part remains a work in progress.

Is Conor McGregor looking at a side job or a full-time gig?

For all his talk of never retiring, McGregor’s fighting career has been stuck in limbo. His latest side quest? A possible switch to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), a promotion he conveniently holds a stake in. “Yes. Yes. The warrior spirit burns strong inside me,” ‘The Notorious’ declared at a BKFC press event in Italy. “Mark my words, Conor McGregor will fight in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.”

Sure. And maybe he’ll finally fight Michael Chandler, too. Chandler, the long-suffering opponent still waiting for that Irish payday, had his own take. In a not-so-subtle jab, he called McGregor’s BKFC ambitions a “side job”, a sharp little dig at the Irishman’s increasingly blurry status in MMA.

Of course, McGregor knows a thing or two about side jobs. Just last month, he was the one taking shots at Logan Paul, Jake Paul, and KSI, dismissing them as “nixers”, “Do you understand that? Side Jobs.” Logan Paul, never one to miss an easy dunk, threw it right back. “You can’t even do your main job,” he fired. “How are you going to do a side job?”

The exchange was brutal and painfully relevant. Since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021, the Irishman has had more business ventures, lawsuits, and Instagram rants than actual fights. The Chandler matchup remains in UFC purgatory, and his latest BKFC hype feels less like a serious career move and more like, well another nixer.

So, is Conor McGregor setting up another carefully staged viral moment, just like Mike Perry once did? Or is this really the next chapter? What do you think? Will Chandler and the rest of the MMA world will keep waiting? And waiting. And waiting? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!