What happens when a UFC Hall of Famer decides to return to action but without the gloves? That’s the question fans are asking as Frankie Edgar prepares for his bare-knuckle debut in front of a home crowd. The stage is set for BKFC 82 in Newark, New Jersey, and part-owner Conor McGregor is already lighting up social media to build up the hype!

In a recent story shared on his Instagram, ‘The Notorious’ fired off as only he could, writing, “17,000 seater stadium. Who the f— is that guy vs Dance for the owner’s pleasure in the main event for our King of Violence World Title,” referring to headliners and UFC veterans, Mike Perry and Jeremy Stephens. Although the thinly-veiled jabs were hard to miss!

He then continued his post with, “Ladies FW World Title on the line for the co-main in a champion vs champion fight. And now, New Jersey’s own, biggest heart in the game, UFC World Champion, Frankie The Answer Edgar, makes his BKFC debut! Absolute FIRE!”

And just like that, Conor McGregor’s words pulled Frankie Edgar’s name into the spotlight, framing the 43-year-old’s return as more than a side story. For fans, it wasn’t just hype. It was a reminder that ‘The Answer’ remains one of the most respected figures in combat sports.

Edgar last fought in 2022, closing a 24-11-1 MMA career that earned him a UFC lightweight title and, in 2024, a spot in the Hall of Fame. Now, he’s stepping back into competition, this time in bare-knuckle boxing. His opponent? Jimmie Rivera, another UFC veteran.

“I’m super excited to get back in competing, especially here in Jersey,” Edgar said when confirming the matchup as per reports online. Why does it resonate? Because Frankie Edgar built his career on grit. He beat BJ Penn as an underdog in 2010 to win the coveted UFC gold, fought bigger men almost his entire career, and kept swinging against champions like Jose Aldo and Max Holloway when he moved down to 145 lbs.

Yet, Conor McGregor’s BKFC 82 had already promised fireworks before the Hall of Famer decided to join in the party. Mike Perry, unbeaten at 5-0 in bare-knuckle, meets Jeremy Stephens, 3-0 in the sport. Their clash is for the “King of Violence” title, a label that fits the wild, no-gloves world BKFC has built.

The co-main? A “Queen of Violence” title bout between Christine Ferea and Jessica Borga, both champions in their own divisions. With 17,000 seats at the Prudential Center waiting to be filled and Conor McGregor’s stamp of approval, BKFC is no longer on the fringe. It’s center stage. Yet, despite his promotional antics for the bare-knuckle arena, the questions about the Irishman’s UFC return still linger. And according to Dana White, there may be a comeback trail on the horizon!

Conor McGregor fans get a ray of hope as Dana White confirms White House event is “the fight he wants”

It’s been more than four years since Conor McGregor last stepped inside the octagon. His trilogy with Dustin Poirier ended not with his hand raised, but with his leg broken in gruesome fashion. A scheduled bout with Michael Chandler in 2024 fizzled, too, after a training injury left him sidelined again.

But McGregor, now 37, seems to be making moves. He recently re-entered the UFC’s anti-doping pool, a step many view as the clearest sign yet that he’s plotting a comeback. Why? Because the UFC is preparing for an event unlike any before: a fight card at the White House in 2026.

And if Dana White is to be believed, McGregor wants to be the centerpiece. Speaking on ‘Pardon My Take’, the UFC boss confessed, “If you see, he’s been posting videos of himself training, he’s back in the [dr*g testing] pool now, he wants the White House fight.”

That wasn’t all, as White further shared, “Listen if he starts getting in shape and training and stays the course, that’s the fight he wants. He keeps telling me he wants that fight. We’ll see how it plays out over the next several months.”

For now, there’s no opponent and no official confirmation. But whether it’s Frankie Edgar lacing up for one more run under the bare-knuckle lights or Conor McGregor plotting a return on the grandest stage imaginable, fight fans are being teased with stories that feel larger than life. One legend is giving the crowd in New Jersey a reason to roar, while another may be eyeing a comeback that could shake the foundations of the UFC!