The Irishman used an appearance at Hype Italy in Rome on Tuesday to spell out his exit route from the UFC: one more fight under contract, and then a switch to bare knuckle.
“I’m going to lay down my gloves in that Octagon for my final UFC contract fight, but not to retire, to announce bare-knuckle,” McGregor said at the event, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
Asked whether he would actually compete in bare knuckle after his MMA career, he brushed aside the obvious concern about injuries with a one-liner: “Teeth come and go, just like a nose.”
“Big chance” of a bare-knuckle fight
McGregor is not a neutral observer of the sport. He has been a co-owner of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship since 2024, and his pitch in Rome leaned heavily on the promotion’s appeal.
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“I really enjoy bare-knuckle fighting. I don’t think there is any chance of a boring fight in bare-knuckle,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to a bare-knuckle fight myself. Big chance. Big chance!”
Bare-knuckle boxing is fought without gloves, with hand wrapping restricted to the wrist and thumb, which leaves the knuckles bare on impact. BKFC is the sport’s largest sanctioned promotion.
One UFC fight left, then the switch
McGregor has one bout remaining on his UFC deal and has not signed an extension. His most recent appearance in the octagon ended badly, with a first-round TKO loss to Max Holloway at UFC 329 on 11 July 2026, after his knee gave way in the opening moments of the fight.
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He underwent surgery on the knee and is not expected back in training until next summer, with his farewell octagon appearance penciled in for 2027.
The bare-knuckle debut would follow from there. McGregor did not commit to a date in Rome, only that the announcement would come once the UFC contract is served.
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