The thrills at BKFC 81 just keep coming! The fourth fight of the night between Sean Weir and Joe Lister had fans on their feet after an epic turnaround, as the light heavyweight duo squared off at the AO Arena in Manchester, England, UK. Lister dropped Weir early with a huge shot, sending shockwaves through the crowd, but the story was just beginning. 

Weir beat the count, and the two immediately went toe-to-toe in a wild exchange that felt more like a bar brawl than a sanctioned fight. Lister scored another knockdown but followed it up with illegal punches while Weir was down, prompting the referee to confer with the judges. Still, the knockdown stood. 

Sean Weir writes an underdog story at BKFC 81

From there, Weir stormed back in the second round with relentless pressure, dominating on the inside and landing heavy rights. By the second round, his momentum was unstoppable—finishing the fight at 1:25 with a technical knockout victory. Lister threw 48 punches and landed 27, while Weir threw 105 and landed 67.

Sean Weir, a Scottish native, entered tonight’s bout with just one amateur MMA fight on his record, which made his dramatic win all the more impressive. It wasn’t for lack of trying—Weir had sought out more opportunities, but repeated cancellations left him stepping into the Squared Circle with far less experience than he would have liked.

Meanwhile, for Lister, things aren’t looking that great. 

Joe Lister will have to win back Conor McGregor’s favor

Lister’s last BKFC outing came in February 2025 against John Ferguson at BKFC Fight Night Newcastle. On that occasion, it was Lister who ended things early, scoring a first-round TKO at 1:49. In a chaotic one-round clash, he threw 54 punches to Ferguson’s 47 and secured the finish after a late knockdown.

This time, however, the 21-year-old Brit was on the receiving end. Despite the setback, his youth and skill set still leave plenty of room for a comeback. What makes the defeat harder to swallow is that Lister had recently caught the eye of Conor McGregor. After his Newcastle victory, McGregor posted on X: “For real! Joe Lister.” Lister fired back in excitement, saying, “It was f****** beautiful, I absolutely loved it.”

Reflecting on his rise, he had declared, “I am made for this type of event. But I tell you what, it is different in there too. This is brutal… but again, I am made for this!” Now, with tonight’s loss, Lister faces the challenge of fighting his way back to win over both the fans and McGregor once again. Can he?