Over the weekend, Conor McGregor made his long-awaited return to the ring, but not in the way most of his fans would have expected.
The Irishman is one of the most famous names in MMA after achieving stardom within the UFC and attracting millions of fans with his fighting style and lively interviews.
He last entered the Octagon in July 2021, losing to Dustin Poirier in their trilogy fight at UFC 264 and suffering a broken leg, but was scheduled to return this year.
Unfortunately for McGregor fans, they will have to wait a little longer for his return to the UFC, however, they could see the Irishman taking on the role of fight promoter on Saturday night.
McGregor took center stage during the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships in Spain, and became a co-owner of the company in April.
Conor McGregor made his long-awaited return to MMA, but not in the way most expected
McGregor last fought in July 2021 and his return this year was derailed due to injury.
He has now taken on the role of fight promoter following a recent cameo at a Bare Knuckle event.
The 36-year-old opened the night with an impassioned speech to the crowd, where he promised to deliver a night like “never seen before.”
And, to be fair to the UFC legend, there were plenty of talking points at the Marbella Arena.
The first is that one of the fights on the card involved two MMA journalists, one of whom runs McGregor’s own website; MacLife.
Oscar Willis took on MMA commentator Ben Davis in a highly anticipated fight within the combat sports community, and many were surprised that two journalists took to the ring.
However, on Saturday night that is exactly what happened and it was McGregor’s man Willis who emerged triumphant after a dominant performance in Spain.
Willis produced an impressive first-round KO after sending his opponent to the canvas on four separate occasions.
It was an incident that drew attention online, as fans praised the bravery and spirit of both men who traded the press box for the ring – with bare knuckles no less!
MMA journalists Oscar Willis (left) and Ben Davis (right) appear on the Bare Knuckle card.
McGregor was on hand to announce Willis, who writes for the ‘MacLife’ website, as the winner.
Later that night, Franco Tenaglia and Tony Soto took center stage in the main event of the card, as they battled for the BKFC lightweight title.
After a brutal five-round war, Tenaglia took a majority decision victory, but McGregor made sure both fighters walked away with something.
In a move that surprised co-owner Dave Feldman, McGregor quickly stepped in and doubled the purse for both fighters that night.
“No, no, no, no,” McGregor quickly jumped in to say. ‘Listen, we’re going to do bonuses, yes, both for these gentlemen and for a host of other people who fought on this card.
‘What we are going to do for these gentlemen, in addition to a bonus, is double their purse. They get paid double! That’s very clear!
‘Well done, gentlemen, you will receive double salary and bonuses. Thank you for your service.’
The arena erupted in cheers after McGregor’s announcement, which certainly would have been a shock to the other Bare Knuckle bosses.
Franco Tenaglia (right) and Tony Soto (left) appeared in the main event of the card on Saturday.
Afterwards, McGregor quickly stole the microphone to declare that he would double his salary.
McGregor’s announcement came as a shock to most, including co-owner Dave Feldman.
The event came to a quick end after the main event, but that didn’t stop McGregor from continuing his headline-grabbing antics.
The UFC icon was also seen getting up close and personal with a woman on a crowded dance floor at an after-party on Saturday night, while pulling her hair in front of stunned onlookers.
One of them was his fiancée Dee Devlin, who quickly intervened to prevent McGregor from getting into any more trouble.
The fighter had been pulling the locks of the woman, who was dancing with a UFC-style belt slung over her shoulder, before dancing suggestively next to her while holding a canned drink and her phone.
Once Devlin inserts himself into the space between the frolicking couple, McGregor steps back and laughs before touching his fiancée’s back.
Clearly not out of his appetite to ruffle his hair, the UFC legend tugs at his partner’s locks before saying a few words and flashing a beaming smile.
McGregor’s fiancée was forced to stop the UFC star from dancing with another woman (left)
Dee Devlin (left) was seen moving between the pair, and McGregor was then seen taking a step back before pulling her hair too.
The couple has been together since 2008 and have four children together. They got engaged in 2020.
As he later left the arena, McGregor revealed that he would face New Zealand’s Dan Hooker in a UFC return fight on February 1 in Saudi Arabia.
The chosen opponent, from New Zealand, is currently fifth in the UFC lightweight rankings, with the champion being Russian Islam Makhachev.
Hooker has won 24 fights and lost 12 in his Octagon career, most recently beating Polish star Mateusz Gamrot in a spectacular victory in August. The victory extended his streak to three fights.