Jessica Eye, who previously retired, is scheduled to make her official return to competition in a bare-knuckle bout. She will face fellow former UFC fighter Mariya Agapova at the BKFC 76 event, taking place on June 21st in Fort Worth, Texas.
This matchup was confirmed by BKFC officials on Wednesday.
With a mixed martial arts record of 27 fights, Eye announced her retirement in 2022 following four straight losses in the UFC. The former UFC title challenger remained inactive until April of this year, when she revealed her intention to return to fighting after signing with BKFC.
During the height of her career, Eye was considered among the elite female fighters, holding rankings in both the bantamweight and flyweight divisions. Her most significant fight came in 2019, a challenge for the UFC flyweight championship, which resulted in a head-kick knockout defeat against Valentina Shevchenko.
Meanwhile, Mariya Agapova, 28, made an impactful debut in the UFC in 2020. However, her early success was short-lived, as she lost her next fight to Sabina Mazo. After that setback, Agapova`s record in her last four UFC bouts was 1-3, leading to her departure from the promotion in July 2024.
Agapova now transitions to bare-knuckle competition, with her first fight being this scheduled contest against Eye. This bout is part of BKFC`s inaugural event in Texas.
Headlining the BKFC 76 card is a title rematch between Franco Tenaglia and Tony Soto. Their previous encounter was noted as one of bare-knuckle`s most memorable fights, famously leading to Conor McGregor doubling both fighters` purses as a bonus.
