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Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), like many combat sports organizations, continues to provide a cushion for fighters who fall out of UFC or simply choose not to re-sign with the Endeavor-owned MMA promotion.
Former UFC welterweight bruiser Diego Sanchez stands as a recent example. “The Nightmare” was booked for the BKFC: “KnuckleMania 3” card last weekend in Albuquerque, where he was summarily destroyed by former boxing champion Austin Trout.
Following the event, BKFC was heavily criticized for putting Sanchez in a lopsided contest against a more experienced foe. One of the dissenting voices was UFC middleweight Sean Strickland, who lambasted the bareknuckle “clown show” for its matchmaking.
That led to an incendiary exchange on Twitter.
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Strickland, 31, is currently ranked at No. 7 in the 185-pound division and coming off a short-notice victory over Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Vegas 67. Don’t expect “Tarzan” to be going anywhere for the foreseeable future. That said, the outspoken Strickland (26-5) always seems like he’s one dumb comment away from getting his pink slip, based on some of his previous opinions about … well, pretty much everything.