“Rest in Peace Ricky Hatton!” Former UFC champion Conor McGregor recently shared these heartfelt words about the late Englishman after the two-division boxing legend passed away earlier this month at his home in Greater Manchester, England, at the age of 46. But it seems ‘The Notorious’ wasn’t done expressing the depth of his loss.

At BKFC 81, held tonight at the AO Arena in Manchester — a venue where Hatton once thrilled fans with his performances — Conor McGregor once again paid tribute. The BKFC co-owner used the moment to honor Hatton’s legacy, crediting the late British icon as a key influence behind his own rise to success in the UFC.

Conor McGregor saw the special man Ricky Hatton was

He entered the ring, took the mic, and screamed at the top of his lungs. “Manchester, England, great to be here,” he said. “Ricky Hatton is forever. This is a message for the Hatton family. We are with you here on your loss. Your father was a special man. Truly, the greatest fighter of the United Kingdom. A man who paved the way for many of the lighter weights, including myself. A hero of mine.”

McGregor is, of course, one of the hundreds who came together to celebrate the man who had once become the biggest name in British boxing. “Such a sad day for combat sports. Sad day for Great Britain. Sad day for Manchester,” Tom Aspinall wrote on Instagram. “I remember as a young boy staying up late to watch his legendary career. The original people’s champion, one of us. Rest in peace.”

Regardless, in Hatton’s part, he also seemed to admire the former UFC double champion. 

Hatton had given advice to McGregor for his UFC comeback

Before his passing, Ricky Hatton offered words of wisdom to Conor McGregor about his UFC return. Speaking to DAZN last year after meeting McGregor in Riyadh, Hatton reflected on his own comeback in 2012, when he was stopped by Vyacheslav Senchenko. “I had to find out if I still had it and I found out that I did not have it anymore,” Hatton admitted.

“And then I went into retirement happy then, having found that out, and I hope Conor McGregor gets the same thing.” McGregor was due to face Michael Chandler in June 2023, but the fight never materialized. He has since hinted at a return next summer, even teasing the White House as a venue.

“I hope he wins [against Chandler] and I hope we see him in plenty more fights because he’s Mr. Entertainment isn’t he?” Hatton said.

From the looks of things, both Conor McGregor and Ricky Hatton shared admiration for each other. McGregor now may have to follow up on Hatton’s final advice to him about making a comeback. What did you make of McGregor’s tribute?