BKFC 81 has definitely been the night of violent scraps. Simultaneously, glory was also on the line. In the main card, two vicious UK fighters, Jonny Graham and Navid Mansour, went toe-to-toe for the promotion’s inaugural lightweight championship. And just like the rest of the card, it was pure violence. The fight was so intense that it even left Conor McGregor concerned.

Both fighters looked locked and loaded to put on their absolute best performances to win the title. And quite frankly, it shaped up to be a very even match in the first round. Graham landed 28 punches, slightly edging Mansouri’s 26 strikes. However, in the second round, the scrap began to get a little more interesting.

Graham started to press his foot on the gas and kept pressure on with forward movement. After a while, he found an excellent hook shot in the middle of an exchange, which flatlined Mansouri. That knockout was so brutal, even the BKFC co-owner Conor McGregor, who has similarly finished many opponents, wore an expression of concern all over his face.  

It was surely one of those jaw-dropping moments which borders on elite performances. On top of that, BKFC 81’s main event also descended into chaos — almost causing a brawl between the headliners. However, in the midst of this spectacularly chaotic night, Conor McGregor shared how bare-knuckle is such a vastly different form of combat sport.  

Conor McGregor believes Bare Knuckle is a puzzle  

BKFC has already started to emerge as a sport with the capability to capture the attention of a wide audience. But after ‘The Notorious’ one became its part owner, it truly felt like the promotion had found the man who could actually take it to new heights. And as many expected, BKFC now looks almost on the run to becoming a mainstream combat sport.

So, after the main event fight between James DeGale and Matty Floyd was done, McGregor took center stage to share how he views Bare Knuckle Fighting as still being a puzzle. In the post-fight ring interview, McGregor said, “It’s an interesting puzzle, the bare knuckle. The habit for people is to reach. We all do that. Frame yeah! People wanna see frames. It’s different. This man is a former two-time world champion, and it looked like he enjoyed it… it’s not boxing, it’s bare knuckle fighting.”

And yes, McGregor definitely has a point here. A BKFC event does feel like a different spectacle compared to boxing or MMA. Although it carries elements of both, with boxing primarily being the discipline, the use of clinchwork makes it very distinct. Also, the overall spectacle and way the event is conducted always brings a different aura than gloved combat.

That said, do you agree with Conor McGregor that bare knuckle remains a puzzle still in its development process and needs to be nurtured? And what did you think about the Manchester event? Let us know in the comments section below.