Gamebred Bare Knuckle MMA Provides Lifeline to Fighters Looking For Work

September 23, 2024

4 months

Jorge Masvidal wanted to put together exciting fight cards when he came up with the idea of hosting fights under the Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA banner. To help fill out the cards, Masvidal has put the word out that former UFC fighters are more than welcome in the promotion. For the organization’s next card, MMAfighting latest news shows that Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA has added 14 fights to the card set to take place Nov. 15 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi.

While none of the fighters are household names, there are a number of popular fighters who will be fighting. Kevin Lee may be the biggest name among the new batch of UFC fighters who will be joining Masvidal’s organization. However, Lee is not the one fighting for a belt.

The number of familiar faces should help draw in some casual viewers for this event. However, the bare-knuckle space has become crowded over the past few years with the BKFC and now Gamebred. With Gamebred going the route of getting names MMA fans would recognize, that may give Masvidal’s promotion the leg up.

Costa Hopes For Career Highlight

Randy Costa was awakened to the fact his career may not be long in the UFC early on during his time in the promotion. He was submitted by Brandon Davis in the second round of his first fight in 2019. While Costa would bounce back with a pair of wins, the momentum didn’t last long.

The UFC cut Costa following a three-fight losing streak. In 2023, Costa signed with Bareknuckle after he had fought in another MMA promotion after leaving the UFC. Costa seemed comfortable in the bare-knuckle environment. He debuted last November by knocking out Jason Knight in the first round.

But Costa impressed Masvidal so much that he booked Costa to headline this event and fight for the bantamweight title. In a cruel twist of fate, Costa’s opponent will be Davis.

Should Kevin Lee Still be Fighting?

These next few months are going to be busy for Lee. Lee retired after being submitted last July by Rinat Fakhretdinov during a UFC fight night. When looking back at MMA breaking news, it looked like Lee was ready to leave fighting behind.

“It kind of sucks being famous when you aren’t rich,” Lee said after retiring.

But Lee booked an MMA fight with a regional promotion in late September. Then Lee will fight for an opponent to be named late in the Gamebred event. We will see if these competitions revitalize his interest in fighting.

One thing that may help keep Lee interested is not having to worry about grappling. Lee took several difficult losses in traditional MMA to strong grapplers. With Gamebred not utilizing gloves, it may give his strikes more pop, and he could stay off the ground.

Rosa Has Stayed Active

Charles Rosa last fought for the UFC in 2022, but he has found plenty of work in regional promotions. Rosa has won four straight fights, including three with the Classic Entertainment and Sports promotion. Rosa isn’t ashamed of his time fighting in the lower levels of combat sports.

He recently won a championship that allowed him to share a nice moment with his dad. Rosa will be paired with Peter Barrett in Gamebred. Barrett hasn’t fought in the UFC since 2019 but has found plenty of success on the regional scene.

Barrett, a Dana White Contender’s Series alum, hasn’t lost an MMA fight since 2021. He has now ripped off five straight wins and could provide a stiff challenge for Rosa.

Sherman Has Found Home in Bare Knuckle

Sherman may enjoy his time in Gamebred even more than he did in the UFC. Sherman has won both of his fights in the promotion by first-round knockout. He hadn’t won a traditional MMA fight by first-round knockout since 2019 when he was with Island Fights.

Sherman will welcome Maurice Greene to the promotion. Greene lost his last two fights in the PFL before jumping over to Gamebred. Greene hasn’t had much luck throughout his career in stringing together wins.

Dos Santos Made Promotion History

MMA fighters may have been clued into this being a good opportunity by Junior dos Santos’s performance in the inaugural fight for the heavyweight crown. Last March in Orlando, dos Santos knocked out Alan Belcher in the second round to become the organization’s first heavyweight champion.

It was a big relief for dos Santos, who had hit the wall in his MMA career. Starting, dos Santos had lost five consecutive fights, all of which came via knockout, and people were calling for him to retire.

However, Gamebred seemed to re-energize him.

Where Else Can Fighters Go?

With Gamebred and BKFC, bare-knuckle fighting has quickly gained respect among fighters. While this type of fighting was previously seen as undignified, more and more state athletic commissions sanction fights. Being sanctioned legally provides more opportunities for fighters to grab a paycheck.

It was difficult news for fighters when Bellator sold to PFL and decided to get out of MMA. The UFC is viewed as the biggest MMA organization in the world and has a monopoly. While the PFL and Oktagon have attempted to take some of their market share, it has been difficult to keep up with the UFC’s deep profits.

The UFC’s parent company recently purchased the WWE, so the UFC has more reach than ever before. Every other promotion has to fight with eyeballs. Gamebred is hoping to provide other options for fighters who want to keep earning a check, but don’t fit into the plans for the UFC.

Here are the rest of the fights scheduled for the Biloxi card that weren’t mentioned above: