Conor McGregor was pumped up after what turned about to be an extraordinary BKFC event in Newcastle on Saturday night.
‘The Notorious’ and his entourage showed up midway through the main card to witness some crazy knockouts at the top of the bill.
In the main event of BKFC 68 Newcastle, Agi Faulkner was victorious over David Oscar and crowned the new European heavyweight champion of McGregor’s promotion.
He is the second-ever Cumbrian BKFC champion, following in the footsteps of Carlisle’s Danny Christie, who won the British light heavyweight title last year.
The first KO McGregor saw came when Middlesbrough‘s Ben Bonner silenced the Utilita Arena crowd with his one-punch victory over Lewis Keen.
In celebrating the victory, the 33-year-old even cracked open a Forged Irish Stout with McGregor, who is a minority owner in the bare-knuckle promotion.
Bonner’s knockout was so brutal that Newcastle’s Keen was left almost motionless inside the squared circle with his eyes rolled back.
But the best fight of the night was no doubt in the very last bout between Faulkner and Oscar.
West Cumbrian Faulkner, 35, was contesting just his third fight in McGregor’s promotion, but is now eyeing up a heavyweight war with Mick Terrill, who is BKFC’s world heavyweight champion.
The main event had a total of five knockdowns in the first two-minute round, before Faulkner delivered the final blow only seconds into round two.
Speaking after the fight, McGregor was asked if it was the best heavyweight fight he has ever seen.
He said: “It’s for sure up there…It’s an honour to be here in the beautiful Newcastle today, 1-0, we won today. Up the Toon Army.”
“We’re on the hunt for the baddest m***** f***** around these parts. We’re crowing champions and putting on big shows.
“Thank you to all the combatants for putting it all on the line… you always have to thank the combatants. Let’s go Newcastle.”
Faulkner was seemingly starstruck after his bout, as he thanked fans for their support after the result he would’ve dreamt about for months.
“Honestly absolutely unbelievable, thank you to everyone who came out,” he said.
“This is massive for me. Conor’s going to give me a massive fight in America
“[Is that what you want?] Aye, a big fight in the US or just keep going up the ladder, keep pushing, keep pushing.”
Faulkner and Oscar went at it in the squared circle for just over two minutes altogether, but at times it was all or nothing in a millisecond for both men.
Just five seconds into the bout, Faulkner dropped Poland’s Oscar with a vicious right hand, before the pair traded numerous blows in a chaotic start to the fight.
33-year-old Oscar, who is a former MMA fighter, then fought back well and delivered a knockdown of his own after a series of brutal right hands to the jaw of Faulkner.
With one minute gone and a knockdown for each fighter the bout continued.
The Pole continued to throw relentless swings in the direction of Faulkner, but it was he who hit the canvas next after the Cumbrian stunned him in the clinch.
Oscar got up and stumbled over to the ropes, but somehow managed to stay on his feet, looking as if he had been hit by a truck as referee Harvey Harra only managed an eight count.
The fight then resumed and Oscar cracked Faulkner with a left jab that nearly floored him.
He rushed over to try and finish the dazed Cumbrian, who instantly responded with a right hook that sent Oscar to the floor yet again.
It was simply incredible that the heavyweight had recovered well enough in time to line up a vicious strike of his own that would’ve knocked most people on the planet out cold.
With less than 20 seconds remaining in the first round, Faulkner caught Oscar for the fourth time and had him bouncing all over the show.
The breathtaking first round came to a conclusion, but Faulkner failed to recognise the bell had sounded when he smacked Oscar again.
Subsequently, the 35-year-old had a point removed from the judges scorecards and Oscar arguably should have been allowed more time to recover as we entered round two.
Nonetheless, the fight went on, but it didn’t take long for the whole thing to come to a conclusion.
Just after Harra had deducted Faulkner’s point, both men faced off again in the squared circle, before the latter stepped and delivered a vicious one-two combination that finally ended the bout.
41-year-old Terrill is the current world heavyweight champion and No.2 ranked pound-for-pound BKFC boxer.
His last ring appearance came in a victory over Lorenzo Hunt at BKFC Knucklemania IV and a future bout against Faulkner would go down as a heavyweight fight for ages.
