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Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has just announced two major fights that are set to take place at their upcoming event, BKFC 41. The main event fight will see former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold make his bare-knuckle debut against UFC welterweight veteran Mike Perry. The co-main event fight will feature former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez taking on former UFC featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes.
The announcement of these two fights is big news for BKFC, as they continue to make waves in the combat sports world. Rockhold, Perry, Alvarez, and Mendes are all well-known fighters with impressive resumes, and their addition to the BKFC roster is a major coup for the organization. The fight card takes place at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colorado. Feldman revealed the two matchups on Wednesday’s episode of The MMA Hour.
Luke Rockhold requested his dismissal from the organization at the end of his three-fight losing skid in the UFC. He considered boxing and the PFL as potential careers after already being awarded his freedom but eventually chose to sign with the sans-gloves promotion. He faced up against Paulo Costa in his final bout, which he lost. The former UFC champion has victories against Chris Weidman, Michael Bisping, Lyoto Machida, and Jacare Souza among other prominent opponents.
The 31-year-old Perry is accustomed to gloveless combat. The former UFC fighter has twice battled underneath the BKFC name. In 2022, Perry defeated Michael Page by a majority decision at BKFC 27 and Julian Lane by a unanimous decision at BKFC Knucklemania 2.
After losing to Oh Rae Yoon at ONE on TNT 4 in April 2021, Eddie Alvarez (30-8-2) requested and was given his resignation from the ONE Championship. Alvarez, a former title holder in Bellator and the UFC, had notable victories over Rafael dos Anjos, Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje, and Anthony Pettis.
Since defeating Joshuah Alvarez via fourth-round TKO at KnuckleMania 2 in February 2022, Chad Mendes hasn't competed. Mendes had previously lost to Alexander Volkanovski via TKO when competing under the UFC brand. Later, "Money" received permission to leave the UFC to compete in BKFC.
The BKFC has been making headlines in recent months with their aggressive free-agent signings, and these two fights only add to the excitement surrounding the organization. With the addition of fighters like Rockhold, Perry, Alvarez, and Mendes, the BKFC is quickly becoming one of the most exciting and unpredictable organizations in combat sports.
BKFC 41 is set to take place on April 29, and fans can expect these two fights to be some of the most highly anticipated matchups on the card. Whether you're a fan of MMA, boxing, or bare-knuckle fighting, these fights are sure to deliver the kind of excitement and drama that only combat sports can provide.