Bare-knuckle fights are supposed to be dirty. That is part of the charm. But every now and again, a finish appears a little too messy, and fans begin slowing down clips frame by frame rather than simply reacting to the knockout. That is exactly what happened following a harsh stoppage at BKFC, which instantly went viral online.

The finish was violent, the audience enjoyed it, and the promotion pushed the highlights everywhere. However, once the replays began to circulate, many fans spotted something else, and the conversation quickly shifted away from the punch. It was about the hair, and even Conor McGregor couldn’t help but share his two cents on it.

Conor McGregor reacts as fans question the BKFC finish

The controversy came after Bryan Duran stopped Derek Perez in a sequence in which some viewers thought Duran grabbed the back of Perez’s hair while firing punches. Pulling hair is considered a foul in MMA; thus, fans instantly began discussing whether the finish should have counted.

Conor McGregor, who is now a part-owner of BKFC, also shared the video on his Instagram story but did not address the topic directly. Instead, he made a joke about the situation, writing, “How to escape a headlock. Brought to you by @forgedirishstout,” he wrote, advertising his brand while posting the finish.

The reply simply fueled the discussion, since fans were already disputing whether the move was legal. Some fans believed the hair grab influenced the outcome. “Pulling hair now?” one fan commented, while another said, “Brother, he was holding his hair.”

Others went on to claim that the move should have been punished. “If he took him by the hair, he should be removed for violation,” one comment read, while another added, “What the absolute f— is going on?” More fans joined in, as they wrote, “I didn’t know you were allowed to pull hair,” and ” Grabbing hair is InSaNe WoRk.”

Not everyone blamed the winner, though. A different section of fans claimed that the real mistake was fighting with long hair in the first place. “You got knocked out for not cutting your hair,” a user joked. Another said, “You shouldn’t fight with long hair.” More fans joined in, as one user bluntly wrote, “Just get a buzz cut and move on,” while another wrote, “This is why warriors from across history had short hair.”

And, of course, plenty ignored the controversy entirely and simply responded to the violence. “God damn my boy that man just retired after them hands 🙌🏽,” one fan commented, while another stated the punches sounded like something cracked, “That was brutal, it sounded like something cracked on his face!” A fan offered a post-fight injury analysis on the spot: “Ruined his nose, it’ll never be the same.”

That’s the funny thing about bare knuckle: half of the audience is arguing about the rules, while the other half just wants to see the finish again. As for Conor McGregor, he’s quite busy and possibly getting a spot on the White House card.

Ariel Helwani claims the UFC is planning to bring McGregor to the White House

While Conor McGregor was busy reacting to BKFC drama online, his name has also been linked to something much bigger: the White House card. The event has already received massive attention due to its location, but the conversation hasn’t really been about the fights. Instead, fans continue to ask the same question: Where is Conor McGregor?

According to Ariel Helwani, the UFC may be backtracking on its decision. Speaking on his show, he said the UFC understands the buzz isn’t the same without the Irish star, especially with such a historic event coming up.

“The master of good timing, the beneficiary of the best timing in the history of the sport, is Conor McGregor,” Helwani said. “He is sitting there as everything is kind of… burning down.

“He’s sitting pretty right now, like, yep, of course you want me back.”

In his view, the promotion needs a moment that gets everyone talking again, and Conor McGregor remains the simplest way to do that. Helwani also claimed that behind-the-scenes talks have been positive and that it would take something huge for Conor McGregor to be left off the card.

“They need this now more than ever,” he added. “They need Conor McGregor to be on this card. They need Conor to come back. They need the return of the Mac.”

With the White House event already under pressure to feel special, bringing back the biggest name in the sport might be the move that guarantees it.