Apr 2, 2025 - Sports

Jessica "Evil" Eye signs with Conor McGregor's bare-knuckle league

Troy Smith

A woman dressed in blue attire gets ready to fight in the UFC Octagon. — Jessica Eye, a former UFC title contender, hasn't fought professionally since 2022. Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Akron native Jessica Eye announced Tuesday she has signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), a promotion co-owned by MMA star Conor McGregor.

Flashback: Eye gained fame in the late 2010s when she became one of the top flyweight fighters in the UFC.

She earned at title shot in 2019 but was brutally knocked out. Eye lost her final four UFC fights before retiring from MMA.

How it works: Bare-knuckle boxing involves fighters punching each other with no padding or gloves — just taped hands and wrists.

The big picture: BKFC is not as popular as the UFC, but it's gaining traction.

The promotion signed a three-year broadcast partnership with sports streaming service DAZN last September.

What they're saying: Eye, 38, said during an appearance on "The Ariel Helwani Show" that signing with BKFC is about the money.

"Maybe these guys will take care of me in a way that I wasn't taken care of in my UFC fights and that's financially rewarding."

What's next: Eye said she expects to make her bare-knuckle debut on May 10 in Salt Lake City.

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Jessica "Evil" Eye signs with Conor McGregor's bare-knuckle league

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