For years, Justin Gaethje has built his reputation on action-packed fights inside the UFC. And he’s rarely strayed away from the promotion with his ventures outside it. But as new opportunities emerge, the interim UFC lightweight champion is now putting a hefty price on his next move. After weighing his options, ‘The Highlight’ has made it clear he’d only want to stick with the RAF. However, for a bout in Conor McGregor’s BKFC? He has a price that would make him the highest-paid UFC athlete to fight in BKFC.

The Arizona slugger attended the BKFC 88 spectacle last night at the CoBank Arena in Denver, Colorado. There, an interviewer for the BKFC asked Justin Gaethje whether he would fight in bare-knuckle at some point in the future. For a moment, a reluctant Gaethje considered the prospect. Then he named his price: a staggering $10 million for a potential move to Conor McGregor’s promotion.

“Oh my god, I think my mom would kill me. She would kill me,” Justin Gaethje admitted. “I’m a wrestler. So when all else fails, I should go to wrestling (RAF), even though you guys are all gonna think and know that’s a f—ing lie. But… $10 million.”

“$10 million?” the interviewer confirmed. “Maybe we can make that happen, yeah.”

At present, Justin Gaethje is all set to unify his interim lightweight title against Ilia Topuria at UFC White House on June 14. So, he is putting all his efforts into finally capturing the undisputed title he failed to win against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. Still, ‘The Highlight’ is 37 years old and could soon retire from the UFC. If he does not completely walk away, we might see him clash in BKFC. But the real question is: would they pay him $10 million?

When it comes to fighter pay in BKFC, their marquee star, Mike Perry, once revealed to MMA Fighting that he struck an $8 million deal with the promotion, which is highly lucrative for a former UFC star competing outside the promotion. However, according to a report from MMA Junkie, ‘Platinum’ received approximately $600K for his KnuckleMania 4 fight, which stands as his largest disclosed payday under Conor McGregor’s promotion. So, it appears that the $8 million figure reflects a total deal rather than a single-fight payout.

In that case, BKFC might be willing to offer a much better deal to Justin Gaethje, but it is unlikely to reach $10 million for a single fight. On the other hand, the pay structure for RAF freestyle wrestling remains unclear. However, Arman Tsarukyan‘s last opponent, Georgio Poullas’ representative, claimed he received “the largest purse ever for a competitive wrestling match.”

Now, would Gaethje choose violence over safety? That will only be known once he decides to make the switch. Meanwhile, BKFC has already added another major name to its roster, one that could draw significant attention to the promotion’s growing spectacle.

Former UFC star Darren Till signs with Conor McGregor’s BKFC

After Darren Till’s UFC run ended with a lackluster 6 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw, many believed the Liverpudlian should have pursued boxing, given his natural striking ability. And those calls proved accurate. ‘The Gorilla’ turned into a force to be reckoned with in Misfits Boxing, dominating three opponents in a row.

In his latest outing, he brutally knocked out Luke Rockhold to claim the Misfits Bridgerweight title, marking a significant career revival. However, just as Misfits began to look like a new home for the Englishman, he opted for another venture, signing with BKFC to kickstart a fresh chapter.

“I am very pleased to be signing with BKFC,” Till said, as per ESPN. “It’s an amazing promotion. F— everyone on this roster, I’m coming to be the face of violence. No one can beat me.”

Following the announcement, the promotion revealed that Till is set to debut at BKFC 90 in Birmingham on May 30. While BKFC has not announced an opponent yet, expectations are that he will face a recognizable name. With Till now on board, the promotion could also revisit a long-anticipated clash with Mike Perry.

With BKFC clearly targeting established UFC names, Gaethje’s $10 million demand now serves as the opening bid in a high-stakes negotiation for his services.