Conor McGregor made a surprise appearance at BKFC 41 on Saturday and took a friendly faceoff against Mike Perry in the ring. The Irish superstar was warmly welcomed by the Denver crowd as he made his way ringside to watch Chad Mendes and Eddie Alvarez, both former opponents, clash in the co-main event.

In the headlining event, McGregor witnessed Perry defeat ex-UFC champion Luke Rockhold in the second round to move to 3-0 in bare-knuckle competition. Perry then asked for a staredown with McGregor and the fighters posed for a photo together.

During the faceoff, McGregor declared that he was not retiring and paid tribute to the fighters who had competed at BKFC 41. “It’s an incredible setup here. Incredible matchmaking. Incredible storytelling. I had to come here. I flew straight away. I was not going to miss this and it did not disappoint. All these fighters that step in here are warriors and all have my respect,” McGregor said.

Despite being under contract with the UFC and expected to fight Michael Chandler later this year, McGregor hinted at a potential future in bare-knuckle fighting by putting on the BKFC title when he entered the ring. “I’m into this game,” McGregor said. “How am I showing up here and I’ve already got the belt? Come get it, baby! Come get the strap, baby!”

McGregor was the biggest star in attendance, but other fighters also watched the fights from Denver, including Kamaru Usman, Justin Gaethje, and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.