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Conor McGregor responds as Gzim Selmani rallies from knockdown to win in BKFC debut
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- Conor McGregor responds as Gzim Selmani rallies from knockdown to win in BKFC debut
Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images
Conor McGregor has been keeping an eye on BKFC's newest heavyweight, and it just so happens he is also a former WWE tag team champion.
The Irishman took notice of Gzim Selmani's debut performance. Selmani, who WWE fans know better as Rezar from the Authors of Pain, had to pick himself up off the canvas before stopping Daniel Curtin with a brutal knockout in the second round.
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Selmani came in with a fair bit of buzz, thanks in part to his background in professional wrestling. The former Bellator fighter lived up to expectations too, delivering an eye-catching finish that included four knockdowns.
Gzim Selmani lands brutal KO over Daniel Curtin
After his second release from WWE last year, Selmani chose to return to combat sports rather than staying on the wrestling circuit. Years earlier, he had left a promising MMA path – which included a stint with Bellator – to chase a pro wrestling career.
His decision to join BKFC drew attention right away, and he wasted no time backing up the hype. Despite being knocked down early by Daniel Curtin in Newcastle, Selmani quickly recovered and made his power felt.
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He returned fire straight away and floored Curtin three times before the bell rang. When they came out for the second round, it only took 22 seconds for Selmani to finish it off.
McGregor is part-owner of BKFC alongside David Feldman, and he did not miss any of the action. He shared clips from the card throughout the night, but made sure to post Selmani's finish on his Instagram story, tagging him with 'The Albanian Psycho' nickname.
Curtin ended up bloodied and bruised while Selmani hardly looked marked at all. As for what comes next for him, that is still up in the air. He has previously called out former World's Strongest Man winner Eddie Hall given his years of fighting experience.
Gzim Selmani's post-fight interview gets wild
Selmani wasted no time embracing his 'Psycho' moniker after his BKFC debut, dropping an x-rated promo that was a far cry from the scripted promos of his wrestling days. And unlike his WWE run, there was no Paul Ellering to handle the talking this time around.
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He stated: "I'm here to knock motherf—ers out, anywhere in the motherf—ing world. Come get it motherf—ers, I'm f—ing done with everybody motherf—ers, come get it."
Selmani drew loud boos from the Newcastle crowd after defeating a British opponent, to which he retorted: "F— this place too! What? Give it to me, I'm the motherf—ing Albanian Psycho. I'm the motherf—er who came from WWE to this place, I fought my a– off and I'm here."
The 31-year-old then thanked McGregor and Feldman for their participation, concluding with this declaration: "I am here to stay motherf—ers whether you like it or not. The Albanian psycho has arrived at BKFC, the most dominant, the most crazy combat sport."
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