Former UFC contender Jessica Eye is scheduled to come out of retirement for her bare-knuckle boxing debut. She will face fellow UFC veteran Mariya Agapova at the BKFC 76 event in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 21. BKFC representatives confirmed this matchup on Wednesday.
Eye, an MMA veteran with 27 professional fights, initially retired in 2022 following four straight losses in the UFC. The ex-UFC title challenger remained retired until April, when she announced her intention to compete again after signing with BKFC.
Throughout her career, Eye was a highly-ranked fighter in both the bantamweight and flyweight divisions. A significant moment was her 2019 challenge for the UFC flyweight championship, which resulted in a head-kick knockout defeat against Valentina Shevchenko.
Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Agapova made a strong entrance into the UFC in 2020 with a notable debut win. However, her subsequent Octagon run was less successful, going 1-3 in her last four bouts before her departure from the promotion in July 2024.
Agapova is now transitioning to bare-knuckle competition with this high-profile fight against Eye, featured on the first BKFC event held in Texas.
The BKFC 76 main event is a title fight rematch between Franco Tenaglia and Tony Soto, a pairing known for one of bare-knuckle boxing`s most memorable and intense battles, which famously led to Conor McGregor doubling both fighters` purses.
