Knight, 32, took to social media to announced the news. The Ultimate Fighter 31 alum (appearing on the show was an attempt at a return to the promotion he fought for between 2015 and 2018) noted that he had made a deal with God: either perform at his best and win, or he’d retire from the sport.

In the end, Knight lost a unanimous decision against Joshua Weems in the bareknuckle MMA scrap.

In his retirement announcement, Knight also indicated that his children had asked him to hang up the gloves.

“Well it didn’t go my way tonight unfortunately! Before the fight I made a deal with god. I told him if he wanted me to continue fighting then allow me to fight at my best and get this win, but if he didn’t want me to continue then to let my opponent win and I would happily retire!” wrote Knight. “This isn’t a decision that I’ve made lightly, it’s something I have contemplated for a while! All of my life I have fought just for the love of it! The last few years I have fought just for a paycheck. All three of my kids have asked me on separate occasions to stop fighting after seeing me come home with my battle scars! My answer was always, daddy has a little bit more he has to do! Well after 18 years of fighting I feel that I have done more than enough and I feel like there is a better way to pay my debt than to keep putting my body on the line!!”

“So with all of that being said I am at peace with my decision and to the ones who have supported me over the years, I love yall (sic) and appreciate you more than you will ever know! Big thanks to Gamebred FC, UFC, PFL MMA, Ultimate Fighter and everyone else who gave me all of the opportunities throughout the years! Good luck and god speed to [Joshua Weems] on the rest of your career! Deuces.”

Knight compiled a 4-5 record in the UFC, and became known as “Hick Diaz” over the years. His fan-friendly fight style gave him opportunities when the UFC door closed, and he jumped to BKFC in 2019, appearing in a Fight of the Year against Artem Lobov that April. Knight lost that first bout, but won an immediate rematch in November 2019. Despite the vast success of those fights, Knight did not compete for BKFC again, instead moving on to the PFL, Gamebred MMA, and TUF 31.

Jason Knight finishes his career with a 22-7 record in MMA, or 23-9 with custom rules bouts factored in.

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Fan favorite and The Ultimate Fighter 10 winner Roy “Big Country” Nelson was headlining the show, fighting for a shot at the promotion’s inaugural heavyweight title against fellow UFC ex-pat Alan Belcher.

Nelson had absolutely wrecked Dillon Cleckler at Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 4 earlier this year, flat-lining the BKFC veteran with his infamous right hand. As for Belcher, he had run up an undefeated record in both boxing and bareknuckle boxing over the past couple of years, making him a genuine threat in the heavyweight division.

Featuring the full MMA ruleset minus gloves, the latest Gamebred card had a whole lot of recognizable names in action. In the co-main event, Jason Knight, a former UFC featherweight and recent TUF 31 standout, was paired up with New England’s Randy Costa. Former Bellator champ and UFC vet Hector Lombard, plus UFC alums Sasha Palatnikov, Chase Sherman, Brandon Davis, Alex Nicholson, Francisco Trinaldo and others were also in action.

Where to Watch Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 6

Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 6: Nelson vs. Belcher goes down Friday, November 10, 2023 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi. The entire event streams live and free on the promotion’s Youtube Channel; a livestream of the full event is available in the embed below. Full results can also be found below.

The event gets underway at 8PM ET.

Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 6: Nelson vs. Belcher Results

Alan Belcher def. Roy Nelson by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Randy Costa def. Jason Knight by knockout (punches), Round 1, 1:41
Chase Sherman def. Carl Seumanutafa by knockout (strikes), Round 1, 2:34
Brandon Davis def. Joe Penafiel by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Curtis Millender def. Joel Bauman by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Junior Maranhao def. Joshua Weems by submission (kimura), Round 3, 2:41
Alex Nicholson def. Prince McLean by knockout (punches), Round 1, 0:19
Francisco Trinaldo def. Sasha Palatnikov by TKO (injury), Round 1, 1:55
Chris Sarro def. Hector Lombard by DQ (illegal blows to back of the head), Round 1, 1:09
Tyler Hill def. James Freeman by TKO, Round 1, 2:48
Mike Sanford def. Alex Gordy by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:47

Updated to reflect that the Nelson vs. Belcher winner will earn a shot at the Gamebred Bareknuckle title, expected to come against Junior Dos Santos.

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The eleventh and penultimate episode of the season had Jason Knight fighting Kurt Holobaugh, a pair of UFC veterans who sounded game to face off, and share a beer after. The pair were supposed to fight ten years back, Knight revealed early in Tuesday’s episode, but the bout fell through.

We’re recapping each and every episode of The Ultimate Fighter 31 this year — this is your chance to turn back if you’re not up-to-date with the show!

Coach Michael Chandler is calling this fight “The Battle of the Bayou.” Holobaugh hails from Louisiana, while Knight is originally from Mississippi. Once again this week, Chandler says there’s going to be minimal cornering, since it’s teammate versus teammate.

“It’s never a dull moment when Jason Knight’s inside that octagon,” Knight says ahead of his semifinal fight.

Chandler sees the fight as being “so close,” calling it one of the most evenly matched fights they could have on TUF 31. Close on the ground, close on the feet. He notes Holobaugh’s power, however.

We then arrive at the coaches challenge, which is “cold plunge trivia.” Coaches Chandler and Conor McGregor have to sit in a cold plunge (ice bath) while answering trivia questions, in a competition hosted by Bruce Buffer. The contest is three rounds, with a fourth round in the event of a tie. Round one is general UFC history, round two is TUF trivia, and round three consists of questions pertaining to the coaches themselves. That round is worth double points; if anyone quits due to the cold, they lose.

Conor and Chandler both flub the first question (who did Mark Coleman beat to win the UFC 10 tournament?), they both nail the second question. Overall, McGregor’s UFC history proves sharper, and he wins the round 5-3. After round two, Conor is up 10-8, and the ice bath is starting to take its toll. Points are doubled in the final round, and it comes down to the final question for Conor: he either wins, or they go to the fourth round. Conor gets it! It might have been a guess, but he accurately selects the number of TKO wins on Chandler’s record.

Winning the coaches challenge, and getting his guys paid, McGregor is upbeat. Weigh-ins arrive, and Knight leads a little prayer in the face-off. He then gets to call home and announce that he’s in the semifinals.

When the semifinals arrive, it’s Team Chandler vs. Team Chandler, with McGregor watching as a spectator. Holobaugh presses the action, and right away, there are some really crisp exchanges. These two came to fight. A clinch sees Knight reverse along the fence, but he eats an elbow off the break, and Holobaugh backs him up to the other side of the octagon. Knight goes down off a caught kick, but Holobaugh opts to remain standing. A whole lotta action, and we’re just a minute in. Holobaugh connects with a right hand; Knight is already bloodied. Holobaugh mixes in a shot to the body. Another fierce exchange plays out. The only one doing any coaching is McGregor, who actually calls out to both guys at times. But for the most part it’s dead silence besides the time being called out.

As the round wears on, Holobaugh is pouring it on. Knight is taking a drubbing, but rips a high kick. The exchange that preceded it draws a warning from the ref for Knight having his fingers extended. The longer this goes on, the more you wish it was in front of a crowd.

No question, Holobaugh won the opening round. His corner is a little more reserved. “You probably won that round. Not by a lot, but you probably won,” they tell him. In the second, Holobaugh is right back on the attack, taking it to Knight, who fires a low kick. Then goes higher. Holobaugh’s accuracy is just plain better; Knight is hitting air, Holobaugh is hitting the mark. Knight starts ripping kicks from both sides, but Holobaugh has him hemmed in against the cage. He gets a clinch on, fires knees, but has to cover up as Knight returns fire. Near the midway mark, Knight is having a bit of a resurgence. But Holobaugh comes back, unloads, mixes in a knee, and tees off on Knight, who his backed up to the cage! Knight finally goes down, and a couple more strikes, punches and elbows, seal the deal for Holobaugh!

Calling the TKO win a dream come true, Holobaugh heads to the finals to take on Austin Hubbard. As for Knight, he needs a CT scan after taking some serious damage in the fight. “I’m not too upset about it, I lost to my buddy. I’m going back to the UFC with or without a win tonight,” says Knight.

One more TUF 31 episode to go!

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We’re recapping every episode of TUF 31 this season — turn back now if you’re looking to stay spoiler-free.

Fishing for monster catfish and hunting gators are among Jason Knight’s hobbies. “The city life is just not for me.” In his day job, the UFC veteran is a welder, making sure his bills are paid, “but that is such a boring life.” He’d clearly rather be fighting full time.

Knight admits that after winning three post-fight bonuses, he began partying and “living it up.” That translated into his fighting career going downhill. “It’s time to make the best of it. I didn’t make the best of it the last time I was here, so this time I will.”

Coach Chandler quickly downplays last week’s shoving match with McGregor, and turns the focus back on Knight, who he believes is a bad match-up for anyone on the show.

“I want the clean sweep, which I fully intend to do,” Chandler says at one point. “I can’t wait to win all these fights.” Moments later, Knight suffers a nasty cut off a head butt in training. Knight visits the doc, who uses Durabond to close up the cut rather than sutures. Chandler, meanwhile, suggests Knight play some mind games and make sure his opponent sees the cut.

However, Cody Gibson from Team Chandler also turns out to be injured — it’s a knee injury, and requires an MRI. Turns out he has a grade 2 MCL tear. Chandler appears to downplay this, saying “the word tear and word sprain are used interchangeably.” Gibson says he plans to fight on.

Quinones discusses his game plan with striking coach Owen Roddy. Calf kicks are going to be a big part of that game plan.

“What makes me dangerous is my mentality, my composure under the chaos,” says Quinones. “I’m going to finesse him, frustrate him, and finish him,” the rookie added.

Quinones reveals that he had a tumultuous upbringing, with his mother making multiple suicide attempts, including one when he was 14 that saw him have to intervene. He fell into drugs, and had trouble socializing, too often expressing himself through aggression.

Weigh-in day arrives. No issues at the scales. Dana White says he expects the fight to be a dog fight.

Then it’s on to the fight, and it doesn’t last long. Coach McGregor, as he has been all season, is in attendance, decked out in a suit, but not cornering. He’s still the loudest voice in the arena when Quinones connects. “Beautiful shot!” Quinones gets an early takedown, but Knight is very busy off his back. Quinones gets caught in a triangle, and it’s over in a flash. McGregor is coming dangerously close to being shut out on the season. 0-7 now, and one fight to go.

“Landon has and had a lot more to show. It’s such a cruel game at times,” McGregor commiserates after the fight. Conor then asks Dana White what happens if his team loses every single fight in the opening round of The Ultimate Fighter 31. Even Dana isn’t entirely sure. It’s clear the losses are now getting to McGregor, though he still tries to boost his guys up.

On to the next (and last, for McGregor?) one.

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A bare-knuckle MMA start-up (remember, Masvidal rose to fame during his backyard fighting days), the promotion is set to hold its first event on June 18. And now, the inaugural voyage of Gamebred FC has a headliner: MMA/bare-knuckle boxing veterans Jason Knight and Charles “Felony” Bennett.

ESPN’s Ariel Helwani was among the first to report the news.

Knight (21-6 MMA, 1-1 BKB) was a popular figure in the UFC from 2015 to 2018. However, a 4-5 record and four-fight skid at the end of his run there saw him get the dreaded pink slip from Dana White and co. Knight, affectionately known as “Hick Diaz” for his fighting style, would end up jumping to BKFC, putting on a memorable pair of scraps with fellow UFC ex-pat Artem Lobov in 2019. The pair would split the fights, with Knight losing a decision in the first, but getting his vengeance with a fifth-round TKO of Lobov in their second meeting.

After stepping back into the cage for a pure MMA contest at iKon 5 in March (and picking up a rear-naked choke submission win), Knight will now try his hand at bare-knuckle MMA. And he’s drawn one of the sport’s true characters in Charles Bennett.

Bennett, (30-41-2 MMA, 0-3 BKB), at 41, has seen pretty much all there is to see in combat sports. Then known as “Krazy Horse,” he’s well-known for runs in KOTC, PRIDE, and a 7-second KO of Minoru Kimura under the RIZIN banner in 2016. The fighter now nicknamed “Felony” also participated in an infamous backstage altercation with Cristiano Marcello while in PRIDE in 2005.

In more recent years, Bennett has struggled to find a win while still competing on a regular basis. He’s lost his last 11 MMA bouts, and all three of his bare knuckle boxing fights.

Gamebred FC is expected to air live on BKTVAPP.com on June 18, 2021. The event will take place in Biloxi, Mississippi.

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Bare Knuckle FC looked to reclaim the glory of one of its best fights when it went back to the well for Artem Lobov vs. Jason Knight II. While BKFC has never been short on blood, fight quality has been up and down at times. Lobov vs. Knight, however, remained the most memorable night in the bare knuckle boxing promotion’s brief existence, so putting the rematch atop BKFC 9 was a no-brainer.

It worked out pretty much as planned. On a night where the UFC’s main event at UFC Sao Paulo between Jacare Souza and Jan Blachowicz left a distinct odor in the air, Lobov and Knight the sequel delivered the goods. The bloody, exciting, gritty battle lasted to the fifth round, when Knight was able to get his revenge, stopping Lobov, who’d been dealing with a nasty cut under the eye.

A rubber match likely looms in their future, although Knight will move on to face Jim Alers next.

In the evening’s co-main event, heavyweights Chase Sherman and Joey Beltran slugged it out. Beltran, a longtime veteran of combat sports with stints in the UFC and Bellator, came out on top, winning the BKFC heavyweight title in the process.

If you missed the event, check out highlights of the action below. For full results, head on over to our BKFC 9 results page.

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BKFC 9 was headlined by a rematch between one of the greatest fights of 2019, the second go-around of Jason Knight vs. Artem Lobov. Lobov won their first encounter in an absolute war in April, where both fighters took an insane amount of damage and kept coming forward. Lobov would notoriously go on to defeat Paulie Malignaggi in the biggest win of his career this past June and has good momentum heading into this main event rematch against Knight.

Lobov and Knight opened the same way we expected, both winging punches to start. Knight lands a left hand that stings Lobov, but Lobov comes back to fire. Knight trying to keep Lobov on the outside, acting more of a boxer than a brawler to start the fight. Knight lands a 1-2, while Lobov struggles to get inside on the longer fighter. An interesting first round.

Lobov opens with a nice right hand, and Knight goes back to putting the pressure on Lobov. Lobov keeps looking for the power shots while Knight is trying to be tactical, eventually, Knight lands a clean right hand that drops Lobov, but Lobov looks okay. Lobov recovers and attacks the body, and we end the second round swinging. Knight looking great through two rounds.

Lobov started the third by pushing up the pressure, and steps in with a nice right hand. Lobov is trying to make this a fight in the third, winging punches and keeping Knight on the backfoot. Knight may have hurt his hand, he didn’t throw much in the third round and seemed to take his foot off the pedal after a great first two rounds.

Knight opens with a nice jab, while Lobov tries to stick and move. Lobov lands a right hand and switches stances. Lobov’s eye starts to swell shut as Knight is moving and landing efficiently. Knight once again pushing the pressure to end the fourth round, Artem is having trouble reaching Knight once again. Knight seems to be landing way more, but Artem is winging the more powerful shots.

Knight opens with a great combination to start the final round. He lands another one to drop Lobov, and the fight is over! He drops and finishes Lobov as the referee waves it off. What a performance by Jason Knight. He completely cut off the ring and walked him down over the course of five rounds.

An absolute war in the first fight, a finish in the second. Could a possible trilogy fight be down the line?

Jason Knight def. Artem Lobov by TKO in Round 5 (0:29)

Check out all the results from BKFC 9 here!

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Bare Knuckle FC rose to prominence thanks to ‘The Queen of Bare Knuckle,’ Bec Rawlings, becoming something of a star for the promotion out of the gate. However, if anything really put the bare knuckle boxing organization on the map, it was the bloody showdown between Artem Lobov and Jason Knight earlier this year. The win by Lobov propelled him into a grudge match with boxing champ Paulie Malignaggi (Lobov won the bout after plenty of chirping and bad blood leading into the fight). Saturday at BKFC 9, the pair were running it back.

Going down in Biloxi, MS, BKFC 9 looked to reclaim some of the glory the pair brought to the company in their first scrap. Lobov vs. Knight 2 topped a card with plenty of UFC/MMA veterans, as Chase Sherman, Joey Beltran, Johnny Bedford, and Charles ‘Felony’ Bennett were also on the card. Of note, Sherman and Beltran were battling for the BKFC heavyweight championship.

The event kicks off at 9PM EST, with the PPV available via Fite.tv and traditional PPV outlets.

BKFC 9 Results:

Jason Knight def. Artem Lobov by TKO in Round 5 (0:29)
Joey Beltran def. Chase Sherman by Unanimous Decision
Johnny Bedford def. Charles Bennett by TKO (Hand Injury) in Round 2 (2:00)
Helen Peralta def. Maia Kahaunaele by TKO in Round 1 (1:57)
Kenny Licea def. Harris Stephenson by TKO in Round 1 (1:03)
Chris Sarro def. John McAllister by KO in Round 1 (1:32)
Kaleb Harris def. Jeff Chiffens by TKO (Referee Stoppage) in Round 2 (2:00)
Wes Combs def. Adrian Miles by DQ (Illegal Ground Strike)
Dillard Pegg def. Adam Pellerano by KO in Round 1 (0:46)

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Artem Lobov and Jason Knight are running it back. On Wednesday, none other than the ‘Russian Hammer’ himself confirmed that he’d face Jason Knight at BKFC 9. That scrap will be their second under the Bare Knuckle FC banner, and will take place November 16 from the Mississippi Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Knuckle up!!👊🇮🇪🇷🇺 @bareknucklefc pic.twitter.com/zQzUVIuCF5

— Artem Lobov (@RusHammerMMA) October 9, 2019

The pair first met in April, fighting in a bloody, memorable war that really helped put BKFC on the map. Lobov would go on to beat Paulie Malignaggi, a rival of SBG Ireland teammate Conor McGregor, shortly thereafter.

Both fighters previously competed in the UFC, with Lobov appearing on The Ultimate Fighter when pal McGregor was coaching back in 2015. He ended his UFC tenure last year, while on a 3-fight losing streak.

Knight has not fought since the pair’s first meeting. Having been booked against Leonard Garcia for a fight in August, he was forced to withdraw due to injury.

Expect more bouts to be added to the BKFC 9 card soon. The company recently announced the signing of ex-UFC/Bellator MMA fighter Hector Lombard, but have not yet revealed his debut date.

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Jason Knight is a fighter that never really reached his full potential in the UFC. A fighter that fans loved to watch, a fighter who knew how to entertain, but couldn’t bounce back into the win column. As he puts it, Knight lost the hunger to fight in MMA, a sport he has competed in since his teenage years.

“I’ve done MMA since I was 14. I lost the hunger for the sport, the pressure got to me. I love MMA, I always will, but until that hunger is back, I’m done with it.”

Knight admits to still training in all aspects of the mixed martial arts sport, and that if the hunger comes back he has no problem with the idea of another MMA bout. But for now, he is happy where he is.

“In Bare Knuckle I have that fire right now, I have it big time. I love this, I love everything about it. This promotion takes me back to my roots, back to eighth grade.”

BKFC is where Knight wants to be. He believes he can be a star in the making for this promotion. This comes at no surprise seeing as Knight and Artem Lobov have assumed the roles of big self-promoters thus far. Paulie Malignaggi could also be thrown into that category, but he has retired from the sport.

“Doesn’t matter who or where is next for me with BKFC. I want to be prepared, not rushed or pressured into anything, preparation is key. I get the fans excited for the fireworks I bring, that won’t be any different in the future.”

Knight hasn’t returned to the promotion since his loss to Artem Lobov at BKFC 5. Set to face Leonard Garcia at BKFC 7, Knight was forced to pull out due to injury, but is on track for a return sooner rather than later.

“I’m feeling better than I was. I got injured while rolling for BJJ. Three ribs popped on me. I tried to keep going but they’d pop out every sparring session.”

Knight admits that it is nice to accept he is injured, and heal up to be the best Jason Knight he can be. He believes that in the UFC, between his standing and his paychecks, injuries were not something he ever could pull out for.

“In the UFC, you pull out one too many times and you’re cut. You don’t make much, so every fight check counts, I never really could let myself heal from injuries while with the UFC. ”

Knight is looking for an October return to the ring. As for his thoughts on the other stars in the promotion, Lobov and Malignaggi, who fought in what was the most anticipated fight of the young promotion:

“Malignaggi was the better boxer obviously, but he was scared. He ran around like this was a boxing match. It’s very different. Lobov is a class act, was glad he won and he deserved to win.”

Knight and Lobov have always shared a mutual respect with one another, and that was no different when we asked Knight what he thought of his own fight with Lobov.

“I thought I won, but I’m fine with the result. It is what it is, that’s life, I hope we fight again. Nothing but respect for him. He’s a warrior and I would have loved to fight him five more rounds. I think we both were ready for it that night.”

Jason Knight has been one of those names that MMA fans have been hyping around for some time, and although he may not be in the sport as we speak, he is involved in a new promotion that needs him for the fireworks he brings every time he puts on the wrist-wraps.

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