BKFC signs former WWE tag team champion

A former WWE standout is returning to his roots of combat sports – but the gloves are coming off.

One half of the former WWE Raw and NXT tag team championship faction AOP (Authors of Pain), Gzmin Selmani has signed with BKFC, the company’s president David Feldman announced Wednesday at a Knuckle Mania 6 news conference.

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Selmani, 31, will compete on the Feb. 7 card at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. An opponent has yet to be named, but Selmani, who stands at 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, will likely compete at heavyweight. Selmani’s team had expressed a desire to return to combat sports in September, advocating for a bout vs. strongman Eddie Hall.

The fight won’t be Selmani’s first unscripted bout. He competed six times in pro MMA from 2012 to 2014 and compiled a 4-2 record with one appearance in Bellator. He fought the likes of Ante Delija, Oli Thompson, and Daniel Gallemore in that span.

The shift back to combat sports comes following the release of Selmani and tag team partner Sunny Dhinsa (Akam) from their WWE contracts in February 2025. The wrestlers had been under contract with the promotion in some form since 2014 and 2015 respectively, with a separation from the company from 2020 to 2023.