Conor McGregor has called out his old UFC rival Jeremy Stephens for a fight, this time under the BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) banner.

The call-out came after Stephens' dominant performance against Eddie Alvarez at BKFC KnuckleMania V in Philadelphia, where he secured victory by sending Alvarez to the mat in the third round, leading to Alvarez's corner throwing in the towel.

Following his post-fight interview, Stephens had a face-off with BKFC co-owner McGregor, who has previously shown interest in competing in bare-knuckle fighting before retiring. The two have shared a contentious past since their exchange at the UFC 205 press conference in 2016, where McGregor famously dismissed Stephens with the line: "who the f**k is that guy?" Although their bout never materialised in the UFC, it now appears to be a possibility in BKFC.

During their confrontation, McGregor challenged Stephens, saying: "Who the f*** is this guy? Let's set a date. Who's going to stop me man to man? No one's going to stop me. Dave [Feldman], make a date, let's do it. I'm down for it bro."

Following a heated exchange, BKFC president Feldman revealed McGregor had expressed his intention to fight Stephens under bare knuckle rules. Feldman shared during the post-fight press conference: "As I was walking out of the arena, Conor actually tapped me on the shoulder and he told me to make sure that I tell everybody that he's fighting Jeremy Stephens in BKFC," However, despite McGregor's eagerness, he remains contracted to the UFC.

The 36 year old is currently seeking a new opponent after the MMA promotion dismissed rumours of a bout with Logan Paul. McGregor himself clarified why the proposed clash with 'The Maverick' fell through. Speaking to "The Schmo", he said: "It is what it is. The UFC just aren't into it. The offer was there on the table, in writing. Both athletes will say, 'He's not fighting,' but both athlete are under the TKO banner. UFC, WWE both rising up. The stock price of TKO Holding Ground (is) through the roof. New market in India opened up and booming. It was business savvy, and business sense to make the fight happen. Or should I say the glorified spar happen."

"In between this waiting period that we find ourselves in before I can get back to the octagon, it made perfect sense on the calendar to go ahead with it. The UFC weren't into it. The WWE, I'm not sure what their interest in it was. I just knew the UFC weren't into it."