With the recent emergence of bare-knuckle boxing in the modern-day combat sports scene, notable names in MMA have been crossing over. That includes some legends as well.
FanSided MMA has reported that Wanderlei Silva (35-14-1) has signed to fight with Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). The Body Lock has confirmed the news which is expected to be officially announced at BKFC 8 on October 19.
For the 43-year old Brazilian icon, his last fight came in September 2018 in a trilogy bout with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at Bellator 206. Unfortunately for Silva, he would suffer defeat via second round knock out. Therefore making Silva 2-1 in their rivalry.
“The Axe-Murderer” most recently enjoyed a two-fight stint with Bellator that saw him go 0-2. This came four years after his last bout in the UFC against Brian Stann. This also happened to be Silva’s last win. A lifetime ban from the Nevada State Atheltic Commission would put him out of action until 2015 when it was overturned. Silva would be released in 2016 after accusing the UFC of fixing fights.
The former PRIDE FC middleweight king has sustained a total of seven losses by knockout in his illustrious career. Wanderlei Silva recently shared that he’s starting to notice CTE-like symptoms in his day to day life.
His opponent has yet to be determined for his BKFC debut. But it wouldn’t be surprising to see it end up being another notable MMA figure.
The list of names that have recently competed in BKFC include the likes of Chris Leben, Artem Lobov, Jason Knight, Jim Alers, Johnny Bedford, Estevan Payan, Bec Rawlings, and former UFC heavyweight champion, Ricco Rodriguez. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Gabriel Gonzaga are set to headline the next event.
