Outside Source
Jorge Masvidal is bringing his bareknuckle MMA promotion back to life. | Jason Burgos/Sherdog.com
After a hiatus that lasted well over a year, Jorge Masvidal is reviving Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA.
The former UFC welterweight title challenger revealed to MMAjunkie.com that his organization will return on April 10 in the Dominican Republic, with another event planned for May 1 in Miami. The promotion’s relaunch is highlighted by two $500,000 tournaments, which will feature 16 fighters in brackets at heavyweight and lightweight.
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Masvidal announced four of the heavyweight pairings on Monday: Anthony Smith vs. Chase Sherman; Guto Inocente vs. Mohammed Usman; Alexandr Romanov vs. Nikolay Kovalenko, and Todd Duffee vs. Bruno Cappelozza. Smith is the biggest surprise of the field: The former UFC light heavyweight title challenger retired last year.
The last Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA event was held on Nov. 15, 2024 at Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi. Over the course of its first eight events, the promotion featured notable fighters such as Junior dos Santos, Alan Belcher, Roy Nelson, Fabricio Werdum and Jason Knight. Though gloves are not used, Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA utilizes the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts for its bouts.
Keeping the Dream Alive
“I never wanted to leave,” Masvidal said. “The whole time I was working, in the shadows in the back. It’s what business owners do. I was just hustling, brother. Seeing what I could do, what networks I could get on, what sponsors I could bring on board. I did everything to keep the dream alive, just like fighting. I was able to secure some funds, so here we go.”
While Masvidal himself has teased a return to the UFC on more than one occasion (a recent rumor had him facing Conor McGregor at the White House), “Gamebred” hasn’t set foot in the Octagon since dropping a unanimous decision against Gilbert Burns in April 2023. His most recent combat sports appearance was a boxing loss to Nate Diaz in July 2024.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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