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Conor McGregor and Mike Perry might just be combat sports' most polarizing pair-fighters-turned-promoters whose brash personalities match their bloody resumes. McGregor, a part-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), and Perry, the self-proclaimed "King of Violence," have clashed in the spotlight before.
Now, their once-heated feud may be cooling as McGregor looks to bring Perry back into the BKFC fold.
Their tension initially boiled over last summer after Perry lost to Jake Paul in an eight-round cruiserweight boxing match in Tampa, Florida. Disappointed, McGregor took to social media to dramatically cut ties with Perry, tweeting: "Hey Mike, you're released."
But in true McGregor fashion, the comment wasn't exactly final. Speaking with The Schmo, McGregor clarified: "Mike [Perry] is fired, but we're in negotiations. [Dave] 'Redneck' Mundell called him out."
It became clear the "firing" was more theatrics than reality-a marketing maneuver reminiscent of UFC president Dana White's signature style.
McGregor, no stranger to controversy or clever headlines, seemed to be adopting the very promotional tactics that helped turn the UFC into a global phenomenon.
McGregor extends an olive branch to Perry
At the BKFC 70 post-fight press conference, McGregor softened his tone, signaling a possible reunion with Perry.
"He should come home. Mike should come home," McGregor said. "He still shows love to the game, and we'll always have love for Mike Perry for sure. And yeah, Mike and I would be a great fight for sure.
"What a promoter, what a promoter. He's like 'Oh, Mike's not going to come fight right now, so I'll fire him. It'll be hilarious.' People just glaze him up all day for that. And then he's like 'You know what, Mike, come on back right before I get a fight contracted and I gotta come back.'"
He even revealed a surprising twist. After McGregor's public jabs at rival promotions-including Perry's new Dirty Boxing (DBX)-the Irishman reportedly praised DBX in private.
"Hey man, Dirty Boxing you'll kill it, loved it, y'all did a great job," McGregor told a DBX official according to the podcast.
Perry's own career in BKFC is no joke. He earned the "King of Violence" moniker by stopping Eddie Alvarez and most recently finishing Thiago Alves in the first round. With his stock on the rise and his own promotional brand gaining traction, Perry's potential return to BKFC is a savvy move by McGregor to keep top talent under his umbrella.