Andrei Arlovski, once known as “The Pitbull” and former UFC Heavyweight Champion, is set to make his debut in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).
With the longest tenure in UFC history, the former champion competed from his debut in 2000 until his final fight at International Fight Week last year.
Arlovski, who won the UFC title over two decades ago, finished his contract last summer at UFC 303. In his 42nd UFC bout, he faced Martin Buday and lost via unanimous decision, becoming a free agent after a four-fight losing streak.
Throughout his career, Arlovski faced a gauntlet of top heavyweight contenders, including Francis Ngannou, Stipe Miocic, Fedor Emelianenko, and many others.
The 46-year-old veteran recently secured a TKO win at Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing Championship in March and has now signed with BKFC.
Andrei Arlovski Joins BKFC, Debut Set for Texas Event
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship officially announced Arlovski`s signing on Saturday. His bare-knuckle debut is already scheduled against experienced 70-fight MMA veteran Geronimo dos Santos. The heavyweight clash will take place on June 21st at BKFC 76 in Fort Worth, Texas, marking the promotion`s first event in the state.
Dos Santos, aged 44, recently gained attention by brutally knocking out former UFC heavyweight contender Aleksei Oleinik at BKFC Dubai last month.
Between them, Arlovski and dos Santos boast over 130 professional fights. Notably, Arlovski previously defeated current BKFC Heavyweight Champion Ben Rothwell in MMA.
BKFC 76 Card Also Features Boxing Legacy and Championship Rematch
As the saying goes, `everything`s bigger in Texas,` and the addition of Andrei Arlovski certainly adds significant star power to the event.
Arlovski is not the only notable name debuting at BKFC 76. Kenzie Morrison, son of legendary former boxing heavyweight champion and “Rocky V” actor Tommy Morrison, is also scheduled to compete on June 21st, with his opponent yet to be announced.
Kenzie Morrison holds a professional boxing record of 22-1-2 and aims to build on his father`s legacy in bare-knuckle.
Headlining BKFC 76 is an anticipated lightweight title rematch between Franco Tenaglia and Tony `Loco` Soto.
Their first encounter at BKFC Spain last year was a grueling battle, widely considered one of the best bare-knuckle fights ever, which Tenaglia won by hard-fought decision.
Following that memorable clash, UFC superstar and BKFC part-owner Conor McGregor famously doubled both fighters` purses in recognition of their performance.
Rupert Hartwell