Mick Terrill may be 41, but he still loves knocking people out for fun.

The BKFC heavyweight champion takes on former UFC star Ben Rothwell on January 25 in the biggest and toughest fight of his career.

Mick Terrill is BKFC’s heavyweight champion of the world

And says nothing in the world ‘makes you feel more alive’ compared to bare knuckle

Both men will clash in the co-main event of KnuckleMania V – BKFC’s grandest show to date.

The Philadelphia card is headlined by former UFC stars Eddie Alvarez and Jeremy Stephens, who will settle their differences with bare fists at the Wells Fargo Center very soon.

Conor McGregor became a co-owner of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in April last year and has since grasped every opportunity to promote the fledgling combat sport.

NFL star Maxx Crosby, who is a starting defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders, added to the promotion’s stacked ownership group after he joined this month.

Terrill knows first hand what it has been like to ride the promotion’s ever-growing wave since the Irishman got involved.

“When Conor came it just exploded,” he told talkSPORT.com.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever met Conor, he’s probably one of the most genuine lads you’re ever going to meet.

“When I take my friends over to meet Conor it’s almost like it’s going from home to home because he’s just us – one of the lads really.

“So you go out and meet his pals, and his pals meet my pals, I see similarities in my friends to his but he’s so kind and generous as well.”

Having started his combat sports career in kickboxing and Muay Thai, Terrill now rules BKFC’s heavyweight division.

Terrill said McGregor is ‘kind and generous’

The Irishman has played a vital role in the sport’s growth over the last yearCredit: Getty

However, it wasn’t an easy start for the man from North Shields as he was stopped on his debut with the promotion in July 2021, on the same card Paige VanZant lost a five-round war to Rachael Ostovich.

Thankfully for Terrill, he got straight back to winning ways after his defeat to Adams – beating him in a rematch two years later – during a period when the promotion was skyrocketed to new heights by McGregor.

“He took us for a tour around his factory, Terrill added, full of complements for the UFC star.

“We had meals and I think a free tab on the bar as well, and the whiskey was good, you know what I mean? I don’t drink very often, but it’s good whiskey.

“That’s the thing with Conor. I have had a couple of discussions with him.

“When Conor puts his mind on something, it’s full throttle.

Terrill doesn’t fight for family or friends, but because he simply loves it

He also said when McGregor puts his mind on something it’s ‘full throttle’Credit: Getty

“So the talks I’ve had with him he wants to push this sport as far as it can go and I’m not surprised really because it’s that exciting.

“When you watch it its just blood, guts and knockouts, and Conor’s a pinpoint accurate striker and I think he just loves it.”

BKFC founder David Feldman announced in December that 64 fighters are expected to participate in a $25million tournament this year.

The winner will walk away with a huge $15m cash prize, with the rest of the $10m split between the final eight fighters.

Terrill’s not wrong when he associates blood, guts and knockouts with the bare knuckle sport.

But this begs the question: Why does Terrill fight? Well, according to him, the answer is simple.

“I love fighting,” he asserted. “If someone’s going to pay me to hit someone, I’m in.

“You see these people saying: ‘I’m doing it for my family and I’m trying to put food on the table. I don’t do bad for money’.

“I never really go out. I’ve always saved. I’ve got money. I just enjoy the fight. At the end of the day I get to hit someone and it’s great.

“There’s nothing in the world that makes you feel more alive. If I make a mistake someone will really hurt me, so it keeps my brain engaged.

“I’ve got to be switched on all the time and I’m probably an insomniac. I don’t sleep…I only sleep three or four hours a night.

“But when I do go to sleep, I’ve got a documentary in my headphones. I listen to documentaries while I’m sleeping.

“And I think if I’ve got nothing going on, my brain will go over time. So when I’m fighting, my brain’s over time all the time.”

BKFC’s first event of 2025 takes place on this weekend in California.

Then, just one week later, the bare knuckle league host KnuckleMania V.