McGregor reveals one UFC fight remains before planned bare-knuckle switch

Conor McGregor has announced he will leave the UFC after fulfilling the final fight on his current contract, with the former two-division champion declaring his intention to compete in bare-knuckle fighting rather than hang up his gloves for good.

Speaking at the Hype Italy event while visiting Spitfire Gym Berlin, McGregor was candid about his enthusiasm for the gloves-off format. “Bare knuckle; I really enjoy bare knuckle fighting,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any chance of a boring fight in bare knuckle. Now, I am a mixed martial artist, maybe I’m just saying this because I had a bad time out the last time?”

McGregor was clear that departing the UFC would not signal the end of his fighting career. “Big chance! Big chance! I’m gonna lay off my gloves in that octagon for my final UFC contract, but not to retire; to announce bare knuckle!” he said.

The 38-year-old already has a financial foothold in the sport, having acquired an ownership stake in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in 2024. That investment now appears to be a precursor to active competition, with McGregor positioning himself as a future participant rather than simply a backer.

Asked about the physical dangers of fighting without gloves, McGregor was characteristically dismissive. “Eh, teeth come and go! Just like a nose, it means nothing! You can get new teeth!” he added.

He also made the case for bare-knuckle as a spectacle in its own right. “Good MMA, really good MMA is hard to beat. But bare knuckle is very exciting, very dangerous, and it takes more courage for me, I think, to get in. So, I’m looking forward to a bare knuckle fight, myself.”

McGregor has not competed since suffering a leg fracture against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. His long-awaited return to the octagon for that final contracted bout has yet to be scheduled.