Ruben Warr really wanted to win Bovar Khanakov at BKFC Fight Night Los Angeles on November 23. It was his opportunity to get a title shot. “This fight is going to change my life, change my family’s life. I’m putting everything on the table for this,” he shared, and in fact, went through the most difficult training camp in his career. This was despite the fact that he was coming off a 6-second knockout victory against Robbie Peralta in July. But luck wasn’t with him this time.

Khanakov Bovar overpowered Ruben Warr in Saturday’s action-packed co-main event, winning by unanimous decision in their lightweight bout (50-45, 50-45, and 49-46). While Warr inflicted a lot of damage on Bovar, the latter, who is almost like a BKFC version of Nate Diaz, endured it all. He was already coming off two back-to-back losses and couldn’t afford a straight third loss. No wonder he gave his all.

Before the fight, founder and President of BKFC, David Feldman had stated, “Bovar Khanakov is a very tough Ukrainian bare knuckle fighter looking to make his mark in BKFC in a fight that we expect fireworks from the first bell.” And that’s what happened as both threw punches relentlessly and Khanakov eventually won. With this win, the Ukrainian fighter improved his record to 5-3, while Warr, a Louisville, KY native, is now 2-1 with one NC in his career.

At the same time, Khanakov’s body had to endure a lot of punishment. His face was marred by red cuts and painful bruises, and so were his fists. But for Bovar, his win meant everything as he took to Instagram to share an image with his kids. He wrote, “Thank you again for your support. I am fine and there are no serious injuries. Praise the Lord 🙏.”

“I would like to thank my friends at @boostmode__ they helped me financially at all stages of the preparation, which resulted in a good result during the fight. Thank you very much. I also want to recommend them as decent people and professionals in their field. If you are interested in car selection, buying or selling. They will help you and do everything at a high level. These are my close friends, I vouch for them.”

His performance seems to have excited Conor McGregor, who reposted it on his Instagram story while making a request to the $411 million worth of promotion. He wrote, “Incredible! BareknuckleFC Look after this man!”

In another video from a day ago, the Ukrainian was showing his bruised and swollen fingers, knuckles, and face.

Now BKFC seems to be doing well. Los Angeles has become an important market for them and this was their third event in LA this year. “From the first day tickets went on sale for our KnuckleMania IV event at the Peacock Theater in February of this year, Southern California combat sport fans have been incredibly supportive of our events and we are committed to bringing the most exciting promotions to them,” Feldman had stated. So McGregor’s request is something the promotion can really look into. And let us not forget that he is also a minority stakeholder.

Regardless, things seem to have taken a turn for the better for Bovar at BKFC Fight Night Los Angeles, which was a sold-out event at the Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California. Now McGregor’s business, including BKFC, is flourishing. But his personal life seems to be in shambles and UFC commentator Joe Rogan recently summed it up. He stated Conor McGregor ‘self-destructed.’ But why did he say that?

Joe Rogan drops harsh verdict on Conor McGregor…

What are the similarities between Jon Jones and Conor McGregor? Both fighters made stunning debuts, and it took them time to reach the pinnacle of the sport that every young athlete wishes for. However, one major fact that differentiates them is the ability to bounce back. On JRE #2232, Joe Rogan revealed that while ‘Bones’ knows the technique to bounce back from setbacks, the same cannot be said about the Irishman.

Blaming his lavish lifestyle full of partying and alcoholism, all this has taken a toll on McGregor’s career and legacy, as per the JRE host. He said, “You know, in a lot of ways, because of money. I mean, he took that fight with Floyd Mayweather, made a ton of money off that, and then took a long time before he came back to MMA. It’s just not been the same guy since, and I think that’s just… It’s money; it’s a lot of partying.” 

It is because of this that while Jon Jones successfully defended his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, McGregor is finding it difficult to make a comeback to the Octagon. Not only that, but other fighters are now hesitant about fighting ‘The Notorious’ as they believe that he will pull out of it at the last moment. His prospective opponent Michael Chandler called him out, although ‘Iron’ fought and lost against Charles Oliveira at UFC 309. But he, too, is angling for other fights and not focusing on just McGregor.

Is it the end of Conor McGregor’s fighting career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.