Muay Thai Legend Buakaw wants to welcome UFC star conor McGregor to BKFC: ‘I’m ready to go to war’
After scoring an impressive victory over fellow Thai legend Saenchai, former two-time K-1 World MAX champion Buakaw Banchamek would love the chance to welcome Irish megastar Conor McGregor to the BKFC squared circle.
Emanating from the sold-out Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall in Pattaya, Buakaw made his second appearance under the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship banner for a long-awaited showdown with Saenchai, a Muay Thai icon with more than 350 career fights to his credit. After three rounds of intense action, it was Buakaw who had his hand raised, scoring a unanimous decision in the first-of-its-kind special rules bare-knuckle bout at BKFC Thailand 5.
Despite walking away victorious, Buakaw had some admittedly mixed feelings after going toe-to-toe with a man he considers to be his friend.
“I really appreciated the opportunity to fight such a high-level opponent, but at the same time he’s my friend,” Buakaw told the promotion. “We both fought hard and put our friendship aside for the fight because we’re professionals, but after the fight I was glad it was over. It has been a great journey working with BKFC on this event and I’m really pleased they were able to make it happen.”
Buakaw v Saenchai just happened in bare knuckle Muay Thai
— Ed | Money Dojo 🥷🏼 (@TheEdPill) November 4, 2023
Many speculated it would be a lax exhibition but they went at it
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Buakaw Reveals his Dream Fight in BKFC
With 240 career victories and a lifetime’s worth of world titles, Buakaw has little left to prove in the art of eight limbs, but that won’t stop him from accepting the challenge of any man willing to step inside the squared circle with him, gloves or no gloves.
As for who he would love to fight if allowed to choose, ‘The White Lotus’ revealed that the name at the top of his list just so happens to be the biggest star in mixed martial arts history, Conor McGregor.
“I’ve told BKFC I’d fight absolutely anyone under this new rule set, but it has to be a big name. I’m ready to go to war with anyone. I want someone to really test me,” he said.
My ultimate fight would be against Conor McGregor in a bare-knuckle Thai fight, but I wonder if McGregor would even take a fight like that against me. I doubt it.”
