Felice Herrig Signs With BKFC Weeks After MMA Retirement
Former UFC strawweight Felice Herrig left her gloves inside the octagon, following her loss at UFC Vegas 56. The gesture signaled an end to Herrig’s time in MMA, but it didn’t close the door on her fighting career.
The 37-year-old has inked a multi-fight deal with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, according to MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin.
“I’ve watched closely what Dave Feldman and his team at BKFC have built and truly want to test myself in bare knuckle,” Herrig said. “At this point in my career, I’m ready for a new challenge, and there is nothing bigger and better than BKFC.”
Felice Herrig Has A New Home
Herrig (14-10 in MMA) is not the first ex-UFC fighter to join the BKFC roster. Chad Mendes, Paige VanZant, Chris Leben and Greg Hardy all made the transition over to bare-knuckle boxing.
“BKFC is very excited to announce this major signing today. Felice was one of UFC’s most popular fighters during her eight years with the company and now sees an opportunity to succeed in bare-knuckle fighting,” BKFC President David Feldman said. “We have a wealth of talented and tough female fighters and look forward to watching her compete in the squared circle.”
The BKFC signee made her professional MMA debut in 2009. She has fought for several promotions including the UFC, Invicta and Bellator. She competed in the 20th season of The Ultimate Fighter with Team Pettis and spent 13 years with the UFC. Her five victories include wins over Courtney Casey, Justine Kish, Alexa Grasso, Kailin Curran and Lisa Ellis.
Herrig encountered many setbacks during the final stages of her UFC career. She dealt with two ACL surgeries and went winless in four-straight fights.
Following a submission loss against Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Herrig spoke on the decision to retire and move on to opportunities outside of MMA.
“I knew if I wasn’t feeling it in the cage that it was going to be my last fight,” Herrig said. “I just feel like there’s something else for me. It’s time to close this chapter in my life..it’s just time to move on to something else.”
Herrig is looking to open a new chapter in her fighting career by making a mark in bare-knuckle boxing. Her BKFC debut and opponent has yet to be announced.
