Andrei Arlovski, a former UFC heavyweight champion, is set to debut in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship against Geronimo dos Santos at BKFC 76 in Fort Worth, TX, on June 21.
Andrei Arlovski is making a big move—he’s stepping into the world of bare-knuckle fighting.
On Saturday, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship announced his debut. He’ll face Geronimo dos Santos at BKFC 76 in Fort Worth, TX, on June 21. Exciting times ahead!
Arlovski, now 46, is no stranger to combat. He once held the UFC heavyweight crown, snagging the interim title at UFC 51 back in February 2005. After defending it successfully against Justin Eilers, he was promoted to undisputed champion.
Though he later lost the belt to Tim Sylvia, Arlovski’s career has been a rollercoaster. He left the UFC in 2008, only to return six years later. After a rough patch, he exited again in 2024 following a four-fight skid. Earlier this year, he dabbled in Dirty Boxing, taking out Terrance Hodges in round two this past March. Quite the journey, right?
Geronimo dos Santos, a seasoned MMA fighter with a 45-26-1 record, isn’t new to BKFC either. He made waves in April by stopping Aleksei Oleinik at BKFC 41. A fierce competitor!
Update: We previously mentioned this would be Arlovski’s retirement fight. Oops! That’s not the case, so we’ve corrected it. Keep an eye out for more updates!