Conor McGregor requests KO bonus for Darren Till's BKFC debut card

Conor McGregor has injected himself into Darren Till's upcoming bare-knuckle boxing debut, with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship president Dave Feldman announcing that McGregor personally requested a knockout bonus be added to the card on which the former UFC welterweight and middleweight contender will make his BKFC bow.

Till, 33, enters the bare-knuckle world carrying an 18-5-1 professional MMA record built across some of the sport's biggest stages. The Liverpool-born southpaw, who stands six feet tall with a 74-inch reach, was once ranked among the elite at welterweight before moving up to middleweight in the UFC. Fighting out of Astra Fight Team, Till averaged 2.3 significant strikes landed per minute during his MMA career, with a 46 percent striking accuracy that underscores a measured, technical approach on the feet.

McGregor, meanwhile, remains one of combat sports' most recognisable names. The 37-year-old Irishman from SBG Ireland carries a 22-6-0 record and built his reputation on an aggressive striking style that produced 5.32 significant strikes landed per minute at a 49 percent accuracy rate across his UFC career. A fellow southpaw with a 74-inch reach, McGregor's interest in adding financial incentives to Till's debut card signals a continued involvement in the promotion's activities even outside his own competitive schedule.

Why it matters

• The knockout bonus adds a financial layer that could shape how fighters approach the event, rewarding aggression on a night already drawing attention for Till's high-profile transition to bare-knuckle.
• Till's move to BKFC represents a significant crossover moment, potentially bridging audiences from mainstream MMA to the growing bare-knuckle scene.
• McGregor's personal involvement — even in a behind-the-scenes capacity — amplifies the card's visibility and signals a closer relationship between the sport's biggest names and BKFC's ambitions.