Josh Copeland MMA: Has 'Cuddly Bear', the recent BKFC winner, ever fought in the UFC?

Bare-knuckle boxer Josh Copeland clinched a knockout win against Steve Herelius at the recent BKFC 50 event, improving his record to 2-1. Interestingly, before switching to the bare-knuckle circuit, 'Cuddly Bear' was a seasoned MMA fighter.

The 40-year-old holds a record of 18-7-1 and has fought for numerous promotions, including the UFC.

Kicking off his mixed martial arts career with a first-round submission win over Vernon Earwood in 2012, the fighter then amassed a nine-fight win streak before getting his ticket to the big leagues. The heavyweight made his UFC debut in a losing effort against Ruslan Magomedov at UFC Fight Night 57 in 2014.

Copeland failed to replicate his early career successes in the premier promotion and ultimately left the company after an abysmal second showing, where he succumbed to a TKO loss to former UFC fighter Jared Rosholt at UFC 185.

Catch Jared Rosholt talk about his UFC 185 win against Josh Copeland:

In the twilight years of his MMA career, 'Cuddly Bear' had a notable stint in the Professional Fighter's League (PFL), where he garnered a record of 3-2-1.

His most recent MMA fight came in 2019, where he incurred a unanimous decision loss to Anton Vyazigin at Russian Cagefighting Championship - RCC 7.

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How many finishes does Josh Copeland have on his MMA resume?

11 out of 18 of Josh Copeland's MMA wins have come via finishes. This means that 'Cuddly Bear' boasts a solid finish rate of 61%. Copeland holds six knockouts and five submission wins on his resume.

The 40-year-old's first finish came in his professional debut against Vernon Earwood as he submitted his fellow American via a guillotine choke 58 seconds into the fight.

He then piled up four more finishes before securing the first decision win of his career against Richard Foster at SCL - Havoc at the Hellespont in 2013. His most recent finish came in a KO win against Alex Nicholson at PFL 8: 2018 Season PFL Playoffs 1.

Watch Josh Copeland KO Alex Nicholson at the PFL 2018 Playoffs below :

'Cuddly Bear' also holds four finishes from his amateur career, comprising three knockouts and a submission. Furthermore, he has a 100% finish rate in the BKFC, with both his wins coming via knockouts.