Bec Rawlings parts ways with UFC, drops gloves for bareknuckle boxing match

After a lengthy stint in the UFC’s Octagon, Australian strawweight-turned-flyweight Bec Rawlings has parted ways with the promotion. That, of course, does not mean her combat sports career is over.

While Rawlings will continue to make her living in the perilous world of prizefighting, she will be making a foray into a different realm of combat. The Australian talent is now poised to try her hand at bareknuckle boxing, and will debut under the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) banner on June 2.

Rawlings announced this news, which had been rumored for some time, on her official Instagram account.

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“IT’S OFFICIAL,” an excited Rawlings said in her post. “I’m fighting on Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship!! Yeah you heard me.. I get to punch people in the face with these hands, BARE. History will be made on Saturday, June 2nd at the Cheyenne Events Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Legalized for the first time in the United States since 1889, The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is the first legal, regulated and officially sanctioned professional bare knuckle fighting league. BKFC will usher a new area of professional combat sports.”

“Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 1: The Beginning will feature an action packed 12 bout card & will An all-star list of some of the best fighters from across the globe!! BKFC 1: The Beginning will be broadcasted LIVE across the US and Canada on Pay Per View Television,” Rawlings added. “Yes this means I’m no longer with UFC, but I’ll still be fighting MMA & Bare Knuckle Boxing so get excited people.”

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Rawlings makes this move from the UFC to bareknuckle boxing having lost her last four bouts in the Octagon, coming up short against top-flight foes in Ashlee Evans-Smith, Jessica-Rose Clark, Tecia Torres and Paige VanZant. As she said in her Instagram post, this move to bareknuckle boxing does not imply the end of her MMA career, only a momentary hiatus.

Will you be watching Bec Rawlings compete in bareknuckle boxing on June 2?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/9/2018.