Conor McGregor Won’t Re-Sign With UFC, Seeks BKFC
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 12, 2026
McGregor wants BKFC
Conor McGregor said he had one UFC fight left on his contract and did not plan to re-sign. The former champion said he looked forward to being “free” to compete in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, the promotion he partly owns, and framed the move as the next step in his fighting career. He made the comments in an apparent Instagram Live after BKFC’s event in Florida, putting his contract status and future plans back in the conversation. His latest comments pointed in a different direction. He wanted out of the deal, and he wanted his next chapter to come with BKFC.
McGregor summed up the position with a line that left little room for doubt. “One more to go and the mac daddy is free,” he said. The message matched the rest of his remarks, which focused on what came after the UFC rather than a new long-term agreement with the company. He had openly said he would not re-sign, adding another layer to his career path. Because he partly owns BKFC, the promotion sits in a different place for him than it would for most fighters. It gives him a destination that is both business and competition, and he made clear that he wanted the freedom to pursue it once his UFC obligations ended.
UFC contract outlook
McGregor’s comments pointed to a simple timeline, one UFC fight left, then a possible move elsewhere. He did not soften that stance. He said he did not plan to re-sign with the UFC, and he linked that view directly to his desire to compete in bare-knuckle boxing. He had described his planned return next year as a “last dance.” The phrasing fit the way he talked about the stage he was at in his career. His latest remarks showed he saw this stretch as a final run rather than the start of a new long-term UFC deal.
The UFC, of course, had reasons to push back. Former rival Eddie Alvarez said the company could resist letting McGregor leave easily because he was its biggest star. For now, McGregor’s own answer was clear. He wanted the final UFC fight to close the door, then he wanted the freedom to walk through the next one on his terms.
McGregor recovery plan
McGregor’s next move also sat against the backdrop of his health. He was still recovering from the knee injury that ended his July return to the Octagon early, which made the talk of a final UFC fight and a move to BKFC more than a simple contract discussion. The injury remained part of the story because it interrupted what was supposed to be a return to action and left his immediate future unresolved. McGregor was doing so while still working back from the setback that cut short his comeback.
He had also kept a specific opponent in mind. McGregor had said Max Holloway should be his next opponent, a choice that added another layer to the final stretch of his UFC run. He had paired that idea with the larger vision of a last run, a final UFC fight and then a switch to a different stage. From McGregor’s own words, the picture was clear enough. He said he had one bout left in the UFC, said he would not re-sign and said he wanted to be free for BKFC.
