Jorge Masvidal is bringing some big money to MMA’s regional scene. The former UFC star on Monday unveiled his plans to MMA Junkie for two bare-knuckle MMA tournaments in 2026 — one at heavyweight, one at lightweight — featuring a menagerie of veteran UFC names, with two separate $500,000 grand prizes on the line, all under his Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA banner.
Masvidal said the tournaments will take place over the course of four rounds this year, starting on April 10 in the Dominican Republic, with a second event already being planned for May 1 in Miami.
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Headlining Monday’s revealed list of participants for the heavyweight bracket is one-time UFC title challenger and current UFC broadcast analyst Anthony Smith. Smith, 37, retired from MMA this past April following a first-round TKO loss to Zhang Mingyang in his UFC swan song.
Joining Smith in the heavyweight bracket will be fellow UFC veterans Chase Sherman, Mohammed Usman, Alexandr Romanov, Todd Duffee and Guto Inocente, as well as former PFL tournament champion Bruno Cappelozza and Russian prospect Nikolay Kovalenko.
The announced matchups for the heavyweight tournament’s opening round are as follows:
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Anthony Smith vs. Chase Sherman
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Guto Inocente vs. Mohammed Usman
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Alexandr Romanov vs. Nikolay Kovalenko
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Bruno Cappelozza vs. Todd Duffee
Masvidal is expected to reveal the names of the other eight heavyweight participants and all 16 lightweight participants in the coming days.
Masvidal’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA shows have featured plenty of notable UFC veterans in the past, including former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos, Roy Nelson, Alan Belcher, Hector Lombard and Francisco Trinaldo, among others. Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA has been on hiatus since Nov. 15, 2024, however Masvidal now appears committed to bringing it back in a surprisingly big way.
Said Masvidal to MMA Junkie:
“I don’t mind taking the loss [from a smaller gate] for making a huge statement online. We’re giving as much money as we can to the fighters. … Really, who’s doing anything right now? It’s just worked out perfectly.
“I never wanted to leave. The whole time I was working, in the shadows in the back. It’s what business owners do. I was just hustling, brother. Seeing what I could do, what networks I could get on, what sponsors I could bring on board. I did everything to keep the dream alive, just like fighting. I was able to secure some funds, so here we go.”
The rule set for bare-knuckle MMA functions similarly to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, just without the customary four-ounce gloves used in the majority of professional MMA bouts.
