Conor McGregor played the role of coach for ex-UFC rival Eddie Alvarez's bare-knuckle boxing fight against Chad Mendes.
McGregor, 34, made a surprise appearance at BKFC 41 in Broomfield, Colorado on Saturday night as his former UFC opponents Alvarez and Mendes clashed in the co-main event. 'Notorious' won the UFC interim featherweight title by knocking out Mendes in July 2015 and won the undisputed lightweight title the following year by stopping Alvarez, who was the champion at the time.
Alvarez scraped past Mendes by split decision in an action-packed fight which could have gone either way after five hard-fought rounds. McGregor was very animated in his reaction to the fight and could be heard yelling for Alvarez to land an uppercut, with the fighter going on to land the exact shot just moments later. Alvarez then points in the direction of McGregor to seemingly thank him for the shot suggestion.
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Alvarez joked that McGregor was "playing both sides" with his coaching advice as his uppercut suggestion was he overheard the Irishman's uppercut suggestion was instead for Mendes. "I thought he yelled uppercut for me to do it but I overheard that he was helping him [Mendes]. I think he was playing both sides," Alvarez said.
McGregor also stayed at ringside to watch Mike Perry stop Luke Rockhold in the main event and even got in the ring to face-off with Perry after the fight. Sporting a BKFC world title over his shoulder, McGregor hinted at a bare-knuckle boxing fight in the future by writing on Instagram: "Call me 'slicey' bare paw. Styles make fights. As well as rulesets. As well as everything. If you are scared go to church. I was called into the bare knuckle ring last night. I fear nothing. No man that breathes air.
"I only fear God and abide by God and if God guides me to a professional bare knuckle fight in my time for my new world title, I do. "Great night last night. It’s real interesting out there for sure. Congrats to the fighters. Two of my old foes competed in a barn buster and a guy who Cowboy [Cerrone] submitted in a round is now the man in this sport beating a former middleweight world champion. Incredible. Think about that for a second. Understand that as fans what fighting is.
"Take note of it. What fighting is, is a new day every day. Every fight with every person on every given day. Is different. It’s why I love it so much. It’s why I respect it so much. Fighting is different. End of. This fight took place in the 185lb division. I’ve not fought at that weight before but I can get there nicely as a refrigerator freezer. For sure. Who knows but God and I trust God."
