During Conor McGregor’s first press conference as a part owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, he spoke about how he first got interested in the promotion.
For many, BKFC will come with a big barrier to entry because of the raw and brutal nature of the sport once the gloves are off.
Others will see this as a draw because by taking away the gloves, you’re one step closer to it being a true fight between two athletes rather than a sporting contest.
It was very much love at first sight for McGregor, who has always been passionate about boxing and supporting his fellow fighters.
His route into the sport and BKFC specifically came though a former member of the UFC roster.
Conor McGregor Says Former UFC Fighter Bec Rawlings Was His Introduction To BKFC
The success of BKFC owes a lot to former UFC fighters making the jump over and bringing some added attention and eyeballs with them.
Australia’s Bec Rawlings competed seven times in the Octagon before she was released by the promotion, which led to her finding her way to BKFC as one of the first fighters to make this switch.
“Rowdy” competed at the promotion’s very first event back in June of 2018 where she became the inaugural women’s featherweight champion.
After a brief stint in Bellator, she returned to BKFC in 2022 and last fought under their banner in December of last year.
McGregor spoke at a press conference for BKFC’s upcoming event in Spain about his initial experience with watching the promotion and how Rawlings was the first domino that set this path in motion.
“Just watch one fight and you’ll be hooked, like me. Now I started this, I watched a lady I know through the UFC named ‘Rowdy’ Bec Rawlings and she was a female world champion in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. I was just taken back by what the sport was, what it was about.
“Any real fighter, any real true fighter, inside of them knows that to have a bare knuckle fighting world championship is a real feather in the cap and then once I came down live to see an event, I was blown away by it.”
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