Former UFC champions Eddie Alvarez and Luke Rockhold have signed on with bare-knuckle outfit BKFC.
On Wednesday’s edition of The MMA Hour, BKFC President David Feldman revealed that Rockhold, who was recently granted his release by the UFC, will face off with “Platinum” Mike Perry in the main event of BKFC’s April 29, 2023 card in Broomfield, CO.
Not stopping there, Alvarez will appear in the co-main event, paired up with ex-UFC title challenger Chad “Money” Mendes.
That’s a four-pack of former UFC stars, and some of the biggest names outside the promotion. BKFC had made a business of rehabbing former UFC fighters, with the likes of Ben Rothwell and John Dodson also picking up big wins in the company.
Bare-knuckle boxing has been quickly growing since BKFC helped revive the sport several years back. Roughly half the states in the U.S. have now sanctioned the sport; 24 as of March 1, with more likely to follow later this year. Internationally, the sport continues to grow, with BKFC returning to England this weekend.
When it comes to Rockhold and Alvarez, both appear to have signed on for multi-fight deals.
“Both of the deals, we have options on them. If something big comes along in other sports, we’re going to let them dabble in that,” Feldman said on Wednesday’s appearance. “They are free to do boxing or MMA if we don’t have anything else for them.”
Luke Rockhold (16-6 MMA) was most recently seen in action at UFC 278, where he lost a unanimous decision to Paulo Costa. That extended the former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion’s losing streak to three, with the other setbacks coming to Yoel Romero and Jan Blachowicz.
For his part, Mike Perry is 2-0 in BKFC thus far.
Alvarez (30-8, 2NC) was most recently seen competing for ONE Championship, in a rocky run that saw him post a 1-2, 1NC record. He had asked for his release from the Asian MMA outfit last year, and has not fought since a decision loss to Ok Rae Yoon in 2021.
Like Rockhold, Alvarez is a multi-promotion champion, capturing the lightweight title in both Bellator MMA and the UFC. His opponent, Mendes, is 1-0 under the BKFC banner.
BKFC 41 on April 29, 2023 event will take place at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, CO, and air live on PPV.
