Former UFC title contender Thiago Alves has booked his first fight in bare-knuckle boxing competition.
He’s scheduled to face fellow UFC veteran Phil Baroni at the upcoming Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships card on Sept. 19. Promotion officials confirmed the matchup to MMA Fighting on Tuesday after the bouts were first teased during the BKFC card this past Friday from Mississippi.
A 27-fight veteran of the UFC, Alves was a stalwart of the promotion for more than a decade while facing a who’s who list of competition throughout his career. He earned a slew of impressive victories over names such as Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck and Chris Lytle before eventually earning a shot at the welterweight title when he faced Georges St-Pierre at UFC 100.