Breaking: Former UFC champions Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez sign with BKFC, will make debut on April 29

Two former UFC champions, Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez, have signed new deals with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. BKFC founder Dave Feldman announced this on The MMA Hour.

BKFC is expanding its roster and have added Rockhold and Alvarez to its lineup. Luke Rockhold, a former UFC middleweight champion, will make his debut in the 185-pound weight class against the unpredictable Mike Perry at BKFC 41 on April 29th in Broomfield, Colorado.

Alvarez, also a former UFC lightweight titleholder, will face Chad Mendes, a former UFC contender who has turned bareknuckle boxing into a 165-pound weight class at the same event.

Luke Rockhold left the UFC following a unanimous decision loss to Paulo Costa in August 2022, which was his first MMA fight in over three years. Rockhold was dissatisfied with the UFC and will now have an opportunity to rejuvenate his career in Bareknuckle Boxing.

Meanwhile, Mike Perry, a former UFC welterweight contender, has a record of 2-0 for BKFC, having earned decision victories over Julian Lane and Michael 'Venom' Page, a notable Bellator MMA fighter.

Alvarez left the UFC in late 2018 but struggled to perform well in ONE Championship. He has only managed to win one fight in his four appearances. Chad Mendes also departed the UFC in late 2018, but he made a comeback in combat sports and secured a technical knockout victory over Joshuah Alvarez, a resilient fighter without gloves, at BKFC: "KnuckleMania 2" in February 2022.

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Take a look at Luke Rockhold's UFC career

Luke Rockhold, a 38-year-old mixed martial artist from the United States, has a professional MMA record of 16-6-0. His most recent fight was against Paulo Costa at UFC 278 on August 20, 2022, where he lost by decision in the third round. Rockhold made his professional debut on July 24, 2007, against Mike Martinez on the regional circuit.

The former Strikeforce champion's debut in the UFC was against Vitor Belfort on May 18, 2013, and he had an impressive record of 10-1-0 at that point. However, he lost the fight to Belfort via KO/TKO in the first round. Despite this setback, Rockhold went on to fight 11 more times in the UFC, with a record of 6-5-0.

On December 12, 2015, Rockhold won the UFC Middleweight Championship by defeating Chris Weidman at UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor. This was his first UFC championship fight, and he accomplished the feat with a remarkable performance.

Rockhold is known for his striking and grappling abilities, and he has faced some of the toughest fighters in his weight class throughout his career. While he has experienced setbacks, he remains one of the most talented fighters in the sport, and his fans eagerly await his return to the ring.