Bare-knuckle boxer quits right away after a terrible injury in Conor McGregor’s event.
Bare-knuckle boxer Connor Tierney has announced his retirement after a tough injury in his last fight.
On Saturday night, Tierney, a pioneer of bare-knuckle boxing, fought in his hometown of Birmingham at the Utilita Arena. The 31-year-old went up against his rival Rico Franco for the European welterweight title in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, co-owned by former UFC champ Conor McGregor.
Their last fight was in 2019, when Franco knocked Tierney out in the first round. Seven years later, the result was nearly the same. ‘Bon Bon’ knocked Tierney down five times before finishing the fight just one minute and 17 seconds into the second round to win the welterweight title.
After the fight, it was revealed the first knockdown came from an accidental clash of heads, not a punch, which changed how the fight went. Tierney was seen spitting blood but still kept going, only to be stopped by his opponent later.
Now, Tierney has shared on social media that the headbutt broke his jaw in two places, leading him to retire from fighting.
“Farewell, Bareknuckle,” he wrote, along with photos and videos of his injury. “I’m writing this from the hospital with a broken jaw in two places. I want to say thank you to everyone who supported me.
I just couldn’t get into the fight that night—I think the big moment got to me. My goal was to bring the city together and become a star in combat sports, and I feel like I did that. Despite the loss, I have so many great memories and met many amazing people.
Watching the fight again, I saw the headbutt that broke my jaw and I also rolled my ankle. It just didn’t work out, but that’s life. Sometimes you take risks and life has other plans.”
Later, he shared that surgery to wire his jaw shut was very painful and he has more surgeries ahead.
“I’ve been very emotional and cried a lot today. I know I’m better than that performance, but things just went wrong for me again,” he said. “Maybe a neurological issue from pressure affected me. All I know is it’s over now and he was the better man that night. I hope to recover quickly and get back to normal soon. God bless.”
Earlier that evening, former UFC fighter Darren Till made his bare-knuckle boxing debut, knocking out reality TV star Aaron Chalmers. After being knocked down himself earlier in the fight, Till said excitedly, “I was made for this. I’m just a Scouse hillbilly, and everyone here is a maniac. I’m built for it.”
Till’s win makes him one of the biggest names in bare-knuckle boxing and sets up big fights in the rest of his three-match deal.