Conor McGregor reveals next career move after UFC contract ends
Former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight champion Conor McGregor is currently recovering from the brutal injury he suffered at the start of his main event fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329.
After much hype and anticipation, he entered the octagon in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the first time in five years. It was also a rematch with Holloway, after McGregor beat him in 2013 at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen via unanimous decision.
Unfortunately, McGregor attempted a surprising jumping kick from the start of the first round and seemed to land awkwardly. From then on, he was unable to stay on his feet due to a torn meniscus and ACL. The referee stopped the fight, and Holloway won via first-round TKO.
Amid his long road to recovery, McGregor has often taken to social media to reveal how he’s progressing or his plans to fight again. Most recently, he indicated he couldn’t wait to “be free” from his contract with the UFC.
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“Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is unstoppable at the moment,” McGregor said in a video clip shared on social media. “What a few months we’ve had. May God bless it. May God bless true fighting. I can’t wait to do it. One more to go, and the Mac daddy is free.”
It will be a while before McGregor returns to the octagon for another fight, given how long recovery and rehabilitation take for his injury. Once he’s closer to being fully healed, he’ll likely have discussions with the UFC about a next fight.
Some have questioned if he’ll ever fight again for the UFC, and now some are questioning why he would want to get involved with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. Commenters reacted to the Championship Rounds social media post, calling out McGregor’s recent declaration.
“He’s so done but he hasn’t figured it out yet in Bare Knuckle boxing he might really get hurt badly so I can’t wait,” a commenter wrote.
“Yeah I’m even more convinced he took a dive his last fight to get a fight off his contract. Won’t be surprised if he does it again,” someone wrote.
Another said, “Is he gonna fake an injury for his last fight just to get out of his contract?”
Others commented, “His fighting style from 2012-2016 got fans thinking he’s gonna be entertaining until 2040. I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t get a win this decade” and, “Why can’t bro just accept its over.”
McGregor has put together an impressive run at the height of his MMA career, but he’s 3-5 in his last eight fights, including three consecutive losses. Before losing to Holloway due to his first-round injury this past July, he was on hiatus from the UFC for five years after breaking his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.
Whether McGregor eventually fights again in the octagon or BKFC remains to be seen, and one has to wonder if he’ll ever get to being the sort of fighter capable of winning again, or whether he should consider other career moves.
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