Jessica Eye is making a comeback to combat sports by joining BKFC. The former UFC flyweight contender announced her signing with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on The Ariel Helwani Show. BKFC also confirmed the news on their social media.
Eye, a seasoned veteran in combat sports, is widely recognized for her decade-long stint in the UFC from 2013 to 2022, where she participated in 15 fights. Once a top flyweight fighter, she challenged for the 125-pound UFC title against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 238 but was defeated. Her UFC career concluded with a four-fight losing streak and an overall record of 5 wins and 10 losses.
The 38-year-old fighter has been inactive since her defeat by Maycee Barber at UFC 276. She told Helwani that she took a break to address health problems. Eye explained that many people were unaware of her health struggles towards the end of her UFC career, which led to issues like missing weight. She revealed she had contracted a parasite, describing it as “a worm about that long.”
Eye stated that she passed this parasite around five weeks before her final UFC fight in 2022. Despite the initial appearance of retirement, she felt her body was simply depleted due to numerous health issues, including gall bladder removal, sepsis, and E. coli. The parasite was finally discovered just before her last fight.
Eye anticipates her BKFC debut on May 10 in Salt Lake City, although her opponent is yet to be announced. Currently, she is contracted for a single fight with BKFC but is open to future engagements with the organization.
