Jessica Eye is set to make her return to professional fighting.
The former UFC flyweight title challenger announced on Tuesday`s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show that she has signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).
BKFC also confirmed the news of Eye`s signing through their social media channels.
Eye, a veteran of combat sports, is best known for her lengthy 15-fight stint in the UFC from 2013 to 2022. Once a top-ranked flyweight, she competed for the 125-pound title against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 238, where she was defeated. Her time in the UFC concluded with a four-fight losing streak and an overall promotional record of 5 wins and 10 losses.
The 38-year-old fighter has been inactive since her loss to Maycee Barber at UFC 276. She explained to Helwani that she took a break to address health concerns.
Eye elaborated, “I believe many people didn`t fully understand the health challenges I was facing towards the end of my UFC career. There seemed to be confusion when I began missing weight and experiencing various problems… It was eventually discovered that I had contracted a parasite. It was very much like the show Monsters Inside Me; there genuinely was a significant worm inside me.”
“I expelled this parasite approximately five weeks before what was intended to be my retirement fight with the UFC in 2022. In reality, after that, I didn`t want to retire, but my body was completely depleted. I endured numerous health issues that were largely known only to the UFC – including gallbladder removal, sepsis, E. coli, and other complications. We finally identified the parasite shortly before my supposed retirement fight.”
Eye indicated that her BKFC debut is scheduled for May 10 in Salt Lake City, with her opponent yet to be determined. Currently, she is signed for a single fight but has not ruled out the possibility of continuing with BKFC in the future.
