Why Eddie Alvarez thinks Conor McGregor would thrive in bareknuckle boxing

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Eddie Alvarez thinks UFC star Conor McGregor would actually do well in the world of bareknuckle boxing.

Alvarez, a former UFC lightweight champion who lost his title to McGregor in 2016, sees plenty of potential in McGregor if he were to go down the bareknuckle boxing route. Alvarez debuted for BKFC this past April and defeated former UFC title challenger Chad Mendes. Contrary to many’s belief, Alvarez learned that a style like McGregor’s is more suitable for bareknuckle boxing than a brawler’s.

“I think he has a good style for it just because like I said, that fencing style where you’re in and out, and you’re not taking shots to give shots, and you’re not kind of Mexican fighting. I would say that’s conducive for bareknuckle,” Alvarez told Morning Kombat. “That bouncy, back-and-forth-tag-you’re-it style makes for a very good bareknuckle fighter. Conor has that style. I think he would do well, just a matter of if he’s able to get out of that contract and make something happen.”

Alvarez is currently a free agent in MMA, but signed to BKFC for bareknuckle boxing. He returns to the ring for a second time at BKFC 56 to face Mike Perry in the main event of the card.

In his debut, McGregor was ringside to witness the bareknuckle action and even had a faceoff with Perry, who defeated Luke Rockhold that night. Although that was arguably BKFC’s most high-profile card, McGregor stole many of the headlines with his appearance.

Alvarez didn’t mind McGregor taking some of the shine.

“I don’t think it was a crash of the party,” Alvarez said. “I think it made the party. We had Conor there, we had Kamaru Usman, Trevor Wittman and Justin Gaethje, I mean the list goes on and on.

“That just proves that MMA fighters and the UFC fighters and all these other promotions is where all these other athletes go to be entertained, right? Football players, baseball players, basketball players. They go to the UFC to be entertained. Where do the fighters go to be entertained? They go to bareknuckle. There’s levels to it. Fighters also want to be entertained, but we’re desensitized by boxing and MMA. There’s too many rules. We go to bareknuckle to be entertained. That’s where we get our rocks off. It was good to see the highest level of martial artist around the ring and be fairly entertained.”