Ciarán O’Donnell
In a move that underlines his growing influence outside the UFC octagon, Conor McGregor has announced the signing of former WWE tag-team champion Gzim Selmani to the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) roster, with the Dutch-born heavyweight set to make his debut on March 14 at a Fight Night event in Newcastle, England.
McGregor, who became a co-owner of BKFC in 2024 as part of the promotion’s aggressive expansion strategy, introduced Selmani — known in wrestling circles as “The Albanian Psycho” — in a social media announcement that blended spectacle with a clear competitive edge.
“I heard Conor was interested,” Selmani said of his move into bare-knuckle competition. “After speaking, it was where I knew I belonged.” The 31-year-old heavyweight made his name in the WWE as one half of the Authors of Pain tag team, capturing multiple titles before turning his focus back to combat sports.
Selmani’s debut will come against fellow newcomer Daniel Curtin in a bout that puts two untested BKFC heavyweights in the spotlight. The fighter himself has promised a knockout finish, with aspirations of building toward a bigger international showdown later in the year.
Selmani’s manager, Shane Watson, confirmed the deal is a multi-fight contract, indicating BKFC sees value in investing in Selmani’s transition from scripted performance to authentic pugilism. “There’s a lot of interest,” Watson said, underscoring plans for the fighter to compete at least three times in 2026.
The Newcastle card is topped by a clash for the inaugural BKFC UK heavyweight title, with Mick Terrill set to face Jay McFarlane in the main event.
For McGregor — whose own fighting future remains a topic of intense speculation — the signing represents another bold chapter in a shifting career that now straddles promotion, performance and personal competition.
A Growing—but Still Niche—Combat Platform
BKFC has grown rapidly since its founding in 2018, staging events across the United States and internationally and building a roster that draws fighters from MMA, boxing and kickboxing. The UK arm of the promotion, BKFC UK, has hosted over a dozen events in England alone, indicating a receptive audience for bare-knuckle competition on these shores.
Yet despite this growth, bare-knuckle fighting remains a niche product relative to the global juggernaut that is the UFC. It’s raw, visceral and unfiltered by gloves — appealing to fans who want “pure combat” — but it still lags behind MMA and traditional boxing in mainstream broadcast reach and commercial viability.
McGregor’s involvement changes that calculus.
McGregor’s Playbook: More Than Just Headlines
McGregor’s tie-up with BKFC began in 2024, when his company McGregor Sports and Entertainment became a co-owner of the organisation, extending his business footprint beyond MMA and into the bare-knuckle world.
His presence brings instant global brand visibility, and the Selmani signing underscores that BKFC is no longer content with signing fighters purely for novelty. Instead, it’s strategically recruiting recognizable figures with crossover appeal— in this case, a former WWE champion with a built-in fanbase and athletic bona fides.
This mirrors broader trends in combat sports where promoters leverage name value and spectacle to drive interest — something McGregor has mastered throughout his career, both inside and outside the octagon.
The UK Market and Long-Term Ambition
By bringing an eye-catching name like Selmani to a UK card, McGregor is tapping into a region already enthusiastic about bare-knuckle contests and ready for bigger fight nights that feel like event experiences.
For BKFC, this isn’t just about filling a slot on a Newcastle card — it’s about cultivating a foothold in a market where MMA and combat sports have strong fan engagement. If successful, it could accelerate plans to hold larger shows, secure media deals and potentially challenge traditional promotions for fan attention.
What It Means for Combat Sports
McGregor’s role as a promoter is reshaping what a fighter’s career trajectory can look like. Once anchored firmly in MMA, elite fighters are now empowered to pivot into new arenas — from bare-knuckle boxing to branded fight leagues — without losing relevance. And McGregor himself has publicly discussed the possibility of competing in BKFC down the line, hinting at a future where these worlds are even more interconnected.
The Selmani signing, therefore, is more than just contract news — it’s a statement of intent: BKFC isn’t content to sit on the sidelines of combat sports growth. With McGregor at the helm, it’s angling to be a formidable player on the global stage.
