Former Pound-For-Pound Boxing Star Set To Make Bareknuckle Debut In May
A former pound-for-pound fighter who won Olympic gold medals, two world championships as well as countless other titles is set for a shock debut in bareknuckle boxing, aged 43-years-old.
Guillermo Rigondeaux won the WBA super-bantamweight crown in just his ninth contest as a professional, before unifying the belts with a win over the legendary Nonito Donaire in 2013, who was the WBO and Ring Magazine champion at the time.
However, four-and-a-half years later at 17-0, Rigondeaux was defeated for the first time, losing out to fellow amateur sensation, Vasyl Lomachenko, in an ambitious attempt to become the WBO super-featherweight champion.
Then, after three successive wins, ‘El Chacal’ attempted to become a multi-divisional champion once again, this time dropping down to bantamweight to face WBO 118lb champion John Riel Casimero, a bout which he lost by split-decision.
That was then followed up with a disappointing performance and consecutive loss against Vincent Astrolabio. That defeat to Astrolabio seemed to signal the end for Rigondeaux’s stint as a professional, regardless of his two knockout victories in 2023.
Now, ‘Rigo’ is set to begin a new segment in his career, with Bareknuckle FC president David Feldman confirming that the fan-favourite fighter will debut in bare knuckle boxing in the coming months, in an interview with The MMA Hour.
“We have also signed former Olympian and former three-time boxing world champion, Guillermo Rigondeaux, he is going to also fight.”
Rigondeaux is expected to debut on May 11th at Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, New England, as he hopes to follow in the footsteps of Austin Trout, who won a bareknuckle world title in just his second BKFC bout since switching from professional boxing.
