5 former UFC fighters who transitioned to bare-knuckle boxing

As of late, bare-knuckle boxing has become one of the most popular career paths for former UFC fighters to turn to in the twilights of their careers. Some of the UFC's biggest stars have transitioned to the alternate combat sport and have brought their fan bases along with them.

The rise in popularity for bare-knuckle boxing has chiefly been a result of David Feldman's BKFC. Feldman has been able to attract a multitude of talent to his organization, which has seen bare-knuckle boxing's viewership skyrocket.

In the following list, we will detail five of the top former UFC fighters who now ply their trade as bare-knuckle boxers. Honorable mentions go to Johnny Bedford, Jason Knight and Bec Rawlings.

#5. Chris Leben - Former UFC middleweight

Chris 'The Crippler' Leben is a favorite of many old-school MMA/UFC fans. Leben rose to popularity after appearing on the first-ever season of The Ultimate Fighter. While his run on the show wasn't particularly successful, Leben's outspoken personality made him stick out to many of its viewers.

Most likely due to his popularity, Leben was still offered a UFC contract after TUF concluded. He put together a five-fight winning streak before falling victim to a debuting Anderson Silva.

After this first UFC loss, Leben's career was considerably more up and down. Wins against some high-level opponents such as Wanderlei Silva and Yoshihiro Akiyama kept his fan base supporting him. However, after a four-fight losing streak between 2011 and 2013, Leben and the UFC parted ways.

Five years later, in 2018, Chris Leben announced he would return to combat sports. He took on Phil Baroni in a bare-knuckle boxing match. He knocked out the former MMA fighter in only one round.

Since then, Leben is 2-1 in bare-knuckle boxing, defeating both Justin Baesman and Quentin Henry but coming up short against Dakota Cochrane. Leben has repeatedly called out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in an attempt to provoke a response from 'The Problem Child.'

#4. Rachael Ostovich - Former UFC women's flyweight

In what appears to be a recurring trend on this list, Rachael Ostovich initially introduced herself to UFC fans by competing on The Ultimate Fighter. Ostovich defeated Melinda Fabian via rear-naked choke but lost a decision to Barb Honchak.

However, Ostovich bounced back and won her UFC debut on The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale card, submitting Karine Gevorgyan in the first round. Unfortunately for Ostovich, that would be her last win inside the UFC octagon. She was consecutively finished by Montana De La Rosa, Paige VanZant and Gina Mazany, leading to her UFC release.

Rather than compete in smaller MMA organizations, Ostovich followed the trend and signed for BKFC. She recently made her debut, defeating Paige VanZant by unanimous decision.

#3. Chad Mendes - Former UFC featherweight

Chad 'Money' Mendes was once one of the top MMA featherweights on the planet, pushing, at the time, the seemingly indestructible Jose Aldo to his very limits. Following his retirement from mixed martial arts, Mendes has hinted at a return to combat sports in some form, although few predicted it would be bare-knuckle boxing.

While competing in the UFC, Mendes defeated multiple high-level opponents, including Clay Guida, Ricardo Lamas and Darren Elkins. Although his martial arts background was primarily wrestling, Mendes picked up some slick boxing during his time training at Team Alpha Male.

Early rumors seem to indicate that Mendes will be competing in the lightweight division of BKFC, where his five-foot, six-inch stature could see him somewhat undersized.

Putting the 155lb division on notice 👀@ChadMendes pic.twitter.com/pVfAPWzFji
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) August 4, 2021

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#2. Artem Lobov - Former UFC featherweight

Artem 'The Russian Hammer' Lobov rose to fame by competing on season 22 of the UFC's reality show, The Ultimate Fighter. Lobov was selected to be a part of Conor McGregor's team. Artem is also a close friend and training partner of the Irishman. 'The Russian Hammer' made it to the show's finale, coming up short against Ryan Hall in the end.

Artem Lobov competed in the UFC seven times, amassing a record of 2-5. His last UFC fight was in 2018, when he lost via unanimous decision to Michael Johnson. This led to his release from the UFC.

However, Lobov did not rest on his laurels. In 2019, he accepted a bare-knuckle boxing match against Jason Knight, another former UFC fighter. The fight was his first for popular bare-knuckle boxing promotion BKFC. Lobov defeated Knight and went on to pick up a victory over former pro-boxer Paulie Malignaggi.

However, since then, Lobov has lost a rematch to Knight. Most recently, he was finished by former Olympic boxer Denis Berinchyk, which led to Lobov's subsequent retirement.

#1. Paige VanZant - Former UFC women's flyweight

Paige VanZant's transition to bare-knuckle boxing from the UFC created more fanfare and social media attention than any other fighter on this list. Despite this, VanZant is still yet to win a fight in the sport.

During her time as an MMA fighter, VanZant competed in both Invicta FC and the UFC, putting together a record of 8-5. She holds five victories in the UFC, defeating the likes of Felice Herrig, Bec Rawlings and Rachael Ostovich.

After being submitted by Amanda Ribas in 2020, Paige VanZant made a move to the BKFC to the surprise of many. VanZant had been a popular fighter in the UFC, whose submission skills got her wins more often than not.

VanZant has since competed twice for BKFC. She dropped decision losses in both fights, first to Britain Hart and the aforementioned Rachael Ostovich, whom VanZant had previously defeated in the UFC.

Edited by Utathya Ghosh