Conor McGregor, as a promoter, was on full display at BKFC 41. After the main event in Broomfield, Colorado, on Saturday night, the Irish fighter entered the ring in response to a challenge from the victorious Mike Perry.
The two engaged in a lively yet cordial faceoff, creating a buzz among fans that carried on well into the weekend. Even on Monday morning, McGregor was still reflecting on the memorable moment.
In an interview with The MMA Hour, BKFC President David Feldman shed light on how Conor came to be in the crowd that night. While he did not provide specifics, Feldman hinted that McGregor was invited to the event as a special guest.
Despite his surprise appearance in the ring, Feldman praised Conor for his showmanship and ability to draw attention to the sport of boxing.
Overall, McGregor’s appearance at BKFC 41 demonstrated his ability to captivate an audience, even when he’s not the main attraction. The UFC star continues to be a major force in combat sports, both in and out of the ring.
“We were actually going to use his security before for a few things, and we were just going back and forth with them and he said, ‘I think Conor wants to come to that event,’” Feldman said. “My guy Dave Cranston hit me up and he said Conor McGregor wants to come and I said, ‘Great, let’s get it.’ [Cranston] said, ‘I’m not 100 percent sure yet,’ and we really didn’t know until right before the event started that he was definitely coming. And then he flew out from L.A. and flew into Broomfield. We picked him up and he made an epic appearance.
Conor McGregor gets a new belt
McGregor not only confronted Perry, but he also sported a BKFC championship belt over one shoulder, which had apparently been borrowed from two-division champion Lorenzo Hunt. Photos and videos of Conor in the ring with the BKFC gold quickly went viral, much to Feldman’s pleasure.
Feldman was aware that Perry had a callout planned in case he won the headliner on Saturday. Which he did by stopping former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in the second round.
However, Perry had told Feldman that he planned to call out Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, who was also in attendance. Cerrone had defeated Perry by submission in their UFC octagon fight in November 2018.
When Perry shifted his focus to Conor, he had to make a callout, which worked out well for Feldman and the BKFC, even if that match doesn’t happen. Feldman hasn’t heard from the UFC if they were unhappy with McGregor’s comments or presence at the event.
He clarified that while his team was happy to accommodate McGregor’s visit to Colorado and transportation to the show. There was no financial incentive for Conor to attend BKFC 41.
As a result, the accidental outcome was incredibly fortunate and may have propelled the BKFC to new heights.
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