Conor McGregor shared a touching moment in the ring with MMA commentator Ben Davis after he was stopped in his BKFC debut.
The UFC legend was ringside to watch as he brought his bare knuckle boxing promotion to Marbella last night. And arguably the most talked about fight of the night came on the undercard as media members Oscar Willis and Ben Davis went to war without the gloves.
Willis, whose work with The Mac Life saw him nominated for Journalist of the Year at the 2024 MMA awards, landed the victory over Misfits Boxing commentator Davis with four knockdowns in the first round. And McGregor made his way into the ring to congratulate both men after the fact.
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Oscar Willis stops Ben Davis in MMA media bare knuckle fight
There was a big build-up to the battle of the media members on Saturday night, with Willis even bringing in top five UFC lightweight Dan Hooker to his corner. The Brit had fought once before in an amateur MMA bout, while Davis had competed in boxing, Karate Combat and submission grappling, going 1-2 there.
Bookies’ favourite Willis sprinted out of the traps early, landing big shots and showing off the considerable size difference between the pair. And within seconds he had landed his first knockdown, which was very quickly followed by a second.
Ultimately, Davis’ toughness proved his downfall as he continued to get up and was dropped for a third time. After the fourth, he was asked to walk to the referee and did so, but was deemed unable to continue, meaning a stoppage victory for Willis.
Conor McGregor made touching gesture to Ben Davis after BKFC fight
Once the fight was over, Conor McGregor made his way into the ring to raise both men’s hands and show support for Willis, who is technically his employee at The Mac Life. But he made a key point to make his way over to Davis’ corner to anoint him a legitimate commentator on fighting after his efforts.
“Conor was really great,” Willis told Bloody Elbow of his brief chat with McGregor after the fact. “He just said ‘great job’ but he made a point to not just say it to me, but he wanted Ben involved and he let us know we both can speak on this game now.
“He called us both warriors and winners, he was great to both of us. But I think he really, similarly to me, felt Ben was being under-represented and under-appreciated in this fight.
“Because it takes two people to say yes and he said yes immediately. I hated the odds, I felt it was all bulls*** and unfair. I think Conor felt that too.”
Ben Davis reacts to Conor McGregor’s touching tribute after BKFC fight
Davis was understandably emotional after the performance, which marked his third defeat in four efforts at different combat disciplines. But he echoed Willis’ sentiments about the moment he shared with MMA’s biggest ever star in the ring.
“Conor was kind all week long and I really appreciated the respect he showed me,” Davis told Bloody Elbow. “On fight night he was just a gentleman from every interaction I had with him directly.
“He just came over to me and said ‘respect and you’ve got balls.’ I was a bit concussed, so I couldn’t really have a full-on conversation in the moment but it meant a lot.
“The funny story is, after the first knockdown I was dropped right in front of him and he was like ‘you’ve got to keep your chin tucked, mate,’ and showing me, mimmicking it with his hands. I was like ‘yeah, it was a good shot’.
“I got back up and tried again but it was funny and what a cool moment. To have a guy like Conor McGregor raising your hand in a bull fighting ring. I couldn’t get the job done, but that’s a win in and of itself.”
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