Conor McGregor has told other promotions to “keep up” following the recent announcement of the BKFC and DAZN partnership.
Bare-knuckle boxing has been on the rise for a good few years now. One of the premier reasons for that has been the success of BKFC, a promotion that blends together big name veterans and rising stars who want a chance to shine. Now, as we know, Conor McGregor is also part of the BKFC family.
His plan is to help take BKFC to the next level, and the latest step in that process has been signing a deal with DAZN. The two have a new partnership together which is set to see them host some of their biggest events on the platform.
In an interview on the subject, the Irishman had the following to say.
McGregor hypes up BKFC
“We’ve got some huge announcements. We’ve just signed a streaming deal with DAZN, which is the leading partner, a testament to where we are as bare knuckle, as an organization and where we’re going. You know, we’re the fastest growing organization in the world. We’ve got the best suits in the game right now! It’s a challenge to all the other promotions to keep up, because we’re outpacing every single one of you, and we’re very excited with what’s coming.”
Of course, many fans are more concerned with when he’s going to return to the Octagon – but his ventures outside of the cage are going pretty well, it seems.
Founded in early 2018, the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has quickly risen in the combat sports world. Headed up by David Feldman, the organization found success by signing everyone from former UFC stars, to former boxing champions. Over the years, they’ve also experimented with bringing influencers into the ring as well, such as Bryce Hall.
However, the company has grown leaps and bounds in the last two years. Feldman briefly met with Dana White and the UFC earlier this year and co-promoted a show with RIZIN in the summer. In April, BKFC revealed that Conor McGregor was now part-owner of the company. Since then, ‘The Notorious’ has brought a lot of attention to the promotion.
It seems that attention has also helped BKFC land a massive deal. Earlier today, the company announced via press release that they’ve signed a new multi-year agreement with DAZN. Feldman himself later revealed in an interview with the Sports Business Journal that the deal would net the bare-knuckle fighting company seven figures.
BKFC announces new multi-year partnership with streaming giant DAZN
As part of the deal, BKFC will air 24 events annually on DAZN, and make side content for the platform. Furthermore, they plan to continue expanding in other U.S. states, and around the globe. They’ve also made additions to their onscreen talent, signing TV personality Mario Lopez to host events in the future.
“Our partnership with DAZN represents a major inflection point in BKFC’s global expansion.” Feldman stated in a press release. “This three-year deal allows us to bring the adrenaline-pumping action of BKFC to an even larger, worldwide audience. DAZN shares our vision of elevating the sport of bare-knuckle fighting, and together, we will deliver an unparalleled experience to combat sports fans across the globe.”
“This partnership marks a new era for BKFC,” BKFC executive David Tetreault added. “We are forming a steering committee composed of top executives from both DAZN and BKFC to take this partnership to new heights. With our combined expertise in Media and Entertainment, Global Marketing, and Content Distribution, we will redefine combat sports worldwide.”