Canelo Alvarez has faced his fair share of elite opponents, but one seems to have found success not only in boxing but in bare-knuckle fighting too.
Canelo holds a record of 62-2-2 and is set to make his bid to become a two-time undisputed super-middleweight world champion against William Scull on Cinco De Mayo weekend in Riyadh.
Alvarez will then face Terence Crawford, providing he beats Scull, at the end of the year.
The Mexican has fought a host of talented foes, but one has found their skills translate to a rising kind of combat sports – bare-knuckle boxing.
Austin Trout became bare-knuckle champion after going the distance with Canelo Alvarez
In 2013, just one fight before his first career defeat to Floyd Mayweather, Canelo fought Austin Trout.
Both men were undefeated at the time, with Trout being 26-0, and Canelo being 41-0-1. Canelo drew with a journeyman early on in his career.
The fight went the distance, and saw Canelo, who sparred Frank Sanchez, pick up a unanimous decision victory over the challenger.
Trout’s boxing career continued for another ten years, in which he faced both Charlo brothers and Erislandy Lara.
He moved on from boxing in 2023 and has since become a bare-knuckle boxing champion. He is 4-0 with BKFC, and last fought yesterday, as he took a split decision victory over Trinidad-Snake.
Trout’s debut in the sport saw him enter with a statement KO, and he won the world title in his next fight. Trout held the WBA world title in boxing, and now holds the world title in BKFC.
‘Meat Cleaver’ boxer who beat Canelo’s opponent set to move to bare-knuckle boxing
Jack Cullen, also known as ‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ as a result of his hometown of Little Lever in Lancashire, is another boxer who seems destined to move to bare-knuckle boxing.
Cullen’s boxing career saw the Brit take wins over Mark Heffron and Avni Yildirim, one of Canelo’s foes, as well as share the ring with the likes of Diego Pacheco, Zak Chelli, and Felix Cash.
Cullen, set to make his BKFC debut, told Bloody Knockout that he hopes to become a world champion in bare-knuckle boxing next:
“100%, that’s my goal. My first goal in boxing was to win a British title. That was my Dad’s and my dream. I’ve done that, now I’m in BKFC. I want titles. I’m going to climb the ladder, and this time next year, I could be fighting for major titles.
“I’m with the same trainer I was with in my boxing career, and he’s saying, ‘Jack, you’re training harder than you did in boxing’.
“I want this more than ever. I’m not doing BKFC just for one day, I’m here to stay and make a statement.”
That’s exactly what he did, winning his first fight by first-round TKO.
Deontay Wilder was adamant he wouldn’t move to bare-knuckle, but Wilder did consider a move to MMA.