West Cumbrian bare-knuckle boxing champion Agi Faulkner sent a message to Conor McGregor after his European title victory.
The Egremont fighter defeated Dawid Oskar to win the inaugural BKFC European heavyweight title in Newcastle.
The top-of-the bill fight on Saturday night was watched by McGregor, who is now a part owner of the BKFC.
And Faulkner, after his second-round knockout victory, urged McGregor to arrange an even bigger contest for him next.
“Honestly, [it’s] absolutely unbelievable,” Faulkner said when interviewed in the ring following his triumph.
“I want to thank everyone who came out [to support me].
“This is massive for me.”
Then, smiling as he gestured to McGregor, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) MMA (mixed martial arts) star who was in the ring for the belt presentation, he said: “Now Conor’s gonna give us a massive fight in America…”
Asked further on his next ambitions in the sport, Faulkner said: “A big fight in the US, or just keep going up the ladder, keep pushing.”
READ MORE: Cumbrian bare-knuckle boxer becomes European champion
Faulkner, 35, got the better of Oskar in a ferocious fight in the BKFC 68 event at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena.
He took five seconds of the second round to defeat his Polish-born opponent after the two men had traded fierce blows in the first round.
Faulkner led the knockdown count 4-1 after the first round before a powerful punch left the Blackburn-based Oskar on the canvas a final time.
EVERYTHING YOU COULD WANT IN A TITLE FIGHT 👏 Agi Faulkner is the inaugural European Heavyweight Champ 🏆#BKFC68 pic.twitter.com/cDaYB6WYt9
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) November 2, 2024
Commentators were impressed with Faulkner’s showing and predicted more success for the west Cumbrian in the heavyweight division.
Former MMA star Chris Lytle, commentating on the BKFC live stream, highlighted Faulkner’s “very powerful, one-punch knockout power” before the fight.
And after the Egremont man’s victory, he said: “Faulkner is going to be a problem for a lot of people in the heavyweight division, because not only does he have explosive power but he’s a lot faster than some of our bigger heavyweights.”
It was a third win in the BKFC for Faulkner, who had previously defeated Daniel Robson and Rob Cunningham.
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