Tag: Johnny Bedford

Farewell, fighters: A list of former UFC champs and more MMA notables who retired in 2022

The MMA world said goodbye to more than 35 notable fighters in 2022, from former UFC champions to future UFC Hall of Famers and more.

MMA is a constantly evolving sport with a revolving door of athletes entering and exiting. Currently fighters from the era that helped make the sport so popular are beginning to trickle away from competition and hang up their gloves to move on to the next chapters in their lives.

If there’s one thing that’s well known about combat sports retirements, though, it’s that they often don’t last long. The urge to compete and, perhaps more importantly, get a payday will continue to drive fighters back, even well beyond their expiration dates.

In 2022, there was an uptick in notable fighters announcing they are retired, and we have a list of those who opted to walk away last year.

Former UFC fighter, BKFC champion Johnny Bedford announces retirement from combat sports

Johnny Bedford has competed in pro combat sports since 2006, but it wasn’t until a recent run in BKFC he obtained financial security.

[autotag]Johnny Bedford[/autotag] is done fighting.

A former UFC fighter and BKFC bantamweight champion, Bedford officially announced his retirement from combat sports Wednesday. Bedford finishes with a pro MMA record of 23-14-1 and a bareknuckle boxing record of 6-1.

“I ultimately had to make that hard-ass decision that I know that I can’t be ready to fight at the highest level,” Bedford said during the BKFC Holiday Giveaway podcast. “I’m not waking up at 6 a.m. to go running and it’s 30 degrees and I’m miserable. When I was 30, that excited me. It doesn’t excite me anymore. I don’t want to blabber forever, but I’ve justified it to myself and the people closest to me.”

Bedford, 39, started fighting in 2006. For much of his career, the motive was rent money, admitted Bedford. Fighting was a way to make ends meet. Though his body and mind are weathered from a grueling combat sports career, Bedford indicated the biggest determinant in his retirement decision was the fact that he’s financially comfortable.

“I don’t have to fight just buy diapers and pay rent and do whatever it took,” Bedford said. “I used to fight, sh*t, twice a month just to pay bills. Because of bareknuckle and because of smart decisions I’ve made with my money from bareknuckle, I’m finally in a position where, wow. I don’t have to do this anymore. It was probably the hardest decision I’ve made.”

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From 2011 to 2014, Bedford competed six times in the UFC. He entered the promotion as a quarterfinalist on Season 14 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” After back-to-back knockout wins over Louis Gaudinot and Marcos Vinicius, Bedford finished his UFC career with three losses and a no contest in his final four fights in the promotion.

Following his UFC release, Bedford went 3-2 before he pivoted to bareknuckle fighting. The switch of combat sports Bedford wholly attributes as his entry into financial security. He won his first five BKFC fights, including the promotion’s bantamweight title. Though he lost the title to Dat Nguyen in 2021, Bedford won the belt back in the same year after it was vacated.

Bedford was booked to fight Jarod Grant in March 2022, but withdrew from the bout. A rematch vs. Nguyen was in the works for January, but ultimately Bedford discovered he was no longer able to give a full camp.

“I take my hat off for you, especially for everything you’ve done,” BKFC president David Feldman told Bedford. “But really for recognizing you weren’t going to be able to give us, yourself, or the fans 100 percent. That’s something that a lot of fighters can’t do. A lot of fighters need to be saved from themself. You didn’t have to be. I thank you for that. I thank you for not short-changing yourself, BKFC, or the fans.”

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Shaquille O’Neal fan of bare knuckle boxing, plans to invest in sport

Shaquille O’Neal said he’s a fan of bare knuckle boxing and plans to invest in the sport.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on USAToday.com.

***

LAKELAND, Fla. — Shaquille O’Neal was more than a casual spectator at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) event Friday night. He is an unabashed fan of the sport and told USA TODAY Sports that he plans to invest in it.

“These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world,’’ O’Neal said from his ringside seat between bouts. “The fact that they’re not using gloves makes them the toughest athletes in the world. I think this is the future of fighting.’’

O’Neal said he most likely will invest in BKFC, the bareknuckle organization founded in 2018 by Dave Feldman. Feldman said completing the deal with O’Neal is a mostly a matter of “dotting the i’s and crossing t’s.’’

“Now we’ve got one of the most sought-after sports figures in the entire world,’’ Feldman said. “Who doesn’t know Shaq? And now he’s going to be part of this company, and it’s going to make a lot for people want to be part of the company.’’

O’Neal’s association no longer will surprise after “KnuckleMania,’’ a pay-per-view event held less than 40 miles from Raymond James Stadium, site of Super Bowl 55. After the second-to-last fight, O’Neal climbed into the ring and presented the bantamweight championship belt to Dat Nguyen, who beat Johnny Bedford for the title.

O’Neal, who was wearing camouflage, said he discovered the sport through a friend and attended his first BKFC event on Dec. 11 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“And it was a great event,’’ O’Neal said, adding, “Because they don’t want to use the gloves, they’re fighting like a fight should be had.’’

The BKFC event Friday was held at RP Funding Center, home to the Orlando Magic’s affiliate in the NBA G League. It featured Paige VanZant, the former UFC fighter who was making her bareknuckle debut.

She lost her bout to Britain Hart by a unanimous decision.

Shaquille O’Neal fan of bare knuckle boxing, plans to invest in sport

Shaquille O’Neal said he’s a fan of bare knuckle boxing and plans to invest in the sport.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on USAToday.com.

***

LAKELAND, Fla. — Shaquille O’Neal was more than a casual spectator at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) event Friday night. He is an unabashed fan of the sport and told USA TODAY Sports that he plans to invest in it.

“These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world,’’ O’Neal said from his ringside seat between bouts. “The fact that they’re not using gloves makes them the toughest athletes in the world. I think this is the future of fighting.’’

O’Neal said he most likely will invest in BKFC, the bareknuckle organization founded in 2018 by Dave Feldman. Feldman said completing the deal with O’Neal is a mostly a matter of “dotting the i’s and crossing t’s.’’

“Now we’ve got one of the most sought-after sports figures in the entire world,’’ Feldman said. “Who doesn’t know Shaq? And now he’s going to be part of this company, and it’s going to make a lot for people want to be part of the company.’’

O’Neal’s association no longer will surprise after “KnuckleMania,’’ a pay-per-view event held less than 40 miles from Raymond James Stadium, site of Super Bowl 55. After the second-to-last fight, O’Neal climbed into the ring and presented the bantamweight championship belt to Dat Nguyen, who beat Johnny Bedford for the title.

O’Neal, who was wearing camouflage, said he discovered the sport through a friend and attended his first BKFC event on Dec. 11 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“And it was a great event,’’ O’Neal said, adding, “Because they don’t want to use the gloves, they’re fighting like a fight should be had.’’

The BKFC event Friday was held at RP Funding Center, home to the Orlando Magic’s affiliate in the NBA G League. It featured Paige VanZant, the former UFC fighter who was making her bareknuckle debut.

She lost her bout to Britain Hart by a unanimous decision.

Shaquille O’Neal fan of bare knuckle boxing, plans to invest in sport

Shaquille O’Neal said he’s a fan of bare knuckle boxing and plans to invest in the sport.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on USAToday.com.

***

LAKELAND, Fla. — Shaquille O’Neal was more than a casual spectator at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) event Friday night. He is an unabashed fan of the sport and told USA TODAY Sports that he plans to invest in it.

“These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world,’’ O’Neal said from his ringside seat between bouts. “The fact that they’re not using gloves makes them the toughest athletes in the world. I think this is the future of fighting.’’

O’Neal said he most likely will invest in BKFC, the bareknuckle organization founded in 2018 by Dave Feldman. Feldman said completing the deal with O’Neal is a mostly a matter of “dotting the i’s and crossing t’s.’’

“Now we’ve got one of the most sought-after sports figures in the entire world,’’ Feldman said. “Who doesn’t know Shaq? And now he’s going to be part of this company, and it’s going to make a lot for people want to be part of the company.’’

O’Neal’s association no longer will surprise after “KnuckleMania,’’ a pay-per-view event held less than 40 miles from Raymond James Stadium, site of Super Bowl 55. After the second-to-last fight, O’Neal climbed into the ring and presented the bantamweight championship belt to Dat Nguyen, who beat Johnny Bedford for the title.

O’Neal, who was wearing camouflage, said he discovered the sport through a friend and attended his first BKFC event on Dec. 11 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“And it was a great event,’’ O’Neal said, adding, “Because they don’t want to use the gloves, they’re fighting like a fight should be had.’’

The BKFC event Friday was held at RP Funding Center, home to the Orlando Magic’s affiliate in the NBA G League. It featured Paige VanZant, the former UFC fighter who was making her bareknuckle debut.

She lost her bout to Britain Hart by a unanimous decision.

Shaquille O’Neal fan of bare knuckle boxing, plans to invest in sport

Shaquille O’Neal said he’s a fan of bare knuckle boxing and plans to invest in the sport.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on USAToday.com.

***

LAKELAND, Fla. — Shaquille O’Neal was more than a casual spectator at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) event Friday night. He is an unabashed fan of the sport and told USA TODAY Sports that he plans to invest in it.

“These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world,’’ O’Neal said from his ringside seat between bouts. “The fact that they’re not using gloves makes them the toughest athletes in the world. I think this is the future of fighting.’’

O’Neal said he most likely will invest in BKFC, the bareknuckle organization founded in 2018 by Dave Feldman. Feldman said completing the deal with O’Neal is a mostly a matter of “dotting the i’s and crossing t’s.’’

“Now we’ve got one of the most sought-after sports figures in the entire world,’’ Feldman said. “Who doesn’t know Shaq? And now he’s going to be part of this company, and it’s going to make a lot for people want to be part of the company.’’

O’Neal’s association no longer will surprise after “KnuckleMania,’’ a pay-per-view event held less than 40 miles from Raymond James Stadium, site of Super Bowl 55. After the second-to-last fight, O’Neal climbed into the ring and presented the bantamweight championship belt to Dat Nguyen, who beat Johnny Bedford for the title.

O’Neal, who was wearing camouflage, said he discovered the sport through a friend and attended his first BKFC event on Dec. 11 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“And it was a great event,’’ O’Neal said, adding, “Because they don’t want to use the gloves, they’re fighting like a fight should be had.’’

The BKFC event Friday was held at RP Funding Center, home to the Orlando Magic’s affiliate in the NBA G League. It featured Paige VanZant, the former UFC fighter who was making her bareknuckle debut.

She lost her bout to Britain Hart by a unanimous decision.

Paige VanZant’s Bare Knuckle FC debut is at ‘Knucklemania’ on Super Bowl weekend

BKFC’s first “Knucklemania” card will feature both Paige VanZant’s debut and the return of Chris Leben.

“What’chu gonna to do when PVZ runs wild on you, brother?”

OK, [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] hasn’t actually cut a promo imitating Hulk Hogan, but she may as well have after the official announcement of her first fight in Bare Knuckle FC.

As first surfaced last week, the former UFC star will make her debut against Britain Hart on Feb. 5. Now we have a venue – RP Funding Center in Lakeland, Fla. — and a name. While previous BKFC events have used a numbered convention, this one will be called “Knucklemania.”

“Since we signed Paige Van Zant in August it’s been the talk of the combat sports world,” BKFC president David Feldman said in a statement. “We’re very excited to announce her BKFC debut against a very tough fighter, Britain Hart, headlining our biggest event of the year, ‘Knucklemania,’ on February 5 in Lakeland, two nights before the Super Bowl in nearby Tampa.”

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Two more fights were announced for the card featuring names familiar to MMA fans: “The Ultimate Fighter 1” veteran [autotag]Chris Leben[/autotag] will fight Quinten Henry at 205 pounds, and “Brutal” [autotag]Johnny Bedford[/autotag] takes on Dat Nguyen for the BKFC bantamweight title.

Fans will be admitted to the event, with a press release stating COVID-19 protocols, include social distancing, will be implemented.

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