Jorge Masvidal believes Gamebred FC’s new bare‑knuckle MMA tournaments will stand out in a crowded market by leaning into chaos, submissions and big‑name heavyweights willing to fight without gloves.
Masvidal explained that bare‑knuckle changes the risk at every range, stressing that “heavyweights already, one shot puts you out, but it gets even more exciting when it’s bare knuckle.” He said the lack of padding not only boosts knockout potential but also transforms grappling, claiming Gamebred events deliver “statistically more submissions per event” than his gloved shows and “even other big promotions when they’re gloved.”
Gamebred Jorge Masvidal’s Bare‑Knuckle Vision: Heavyweight Chaos, Big Names and Serious Prize Money
With no foam to block grip, “the hands get into places a lot easier” and “your lock is a lot less compromised when it’s your own hands,” which he says lets fighters “really bite down on that lock” to finish submissions. Masvidal contrasted this with traditional MMA, where a fighter with their back taken can “just grab a glove and chill for a little bit,” adding that in bare‑knuckle MMA “they slip like blankets” and defenders cannot stall in bad positions.
As a result, he says fans stay engaged on the mat because “they’re looking for that submission” and know “it could end at any moment,” whether from a choke or from “just touch[ing] him bare knuckle” on top and damaging sensitive areas.
The launch centerpiece is a 16‑man heavyweight tournament that begins April 10 in the Dominican Republic, streamed “live and free” on Masvidal’s YouTube and Facebook channels. The opening card features five heavyweight bouts, headlined by former UFC title challenger Anthony Smith against Gamebred staple Chase “The Terminator” Sherman in full MMA, “same rules as the UFC or any major promotion – just no gloves.”
Masvidal called Smith “a legit bad [expletive]” who has fought “one of the world’s greatest ever to do it” and said going bare‑knuckle is “old school” and “the roots” for him. Sherman, meanwhile, is described as “born for bare knuckle” with a chin that means “you just can’t put him away, man.”
Another key bracket fight pits Brazilian veteran Guto Inocente, whom Masvidal labeled an “old school legend” and “relic and a gem,” against former UFC fighter Mohammed Usman, who was recently released and brings what Masvidal called “another specimen, another physical monster” into his first bare‑knuckle appearance. He recalled Inocente’s last Gamebred outing, where the Brazilian was kept at range by a tall, rangy three‑time Brazilian national champion before “on one of those, G just caught him, turned his lights off.”
International heavyweights are part of the field as well, including Alexander Romanov versus Russian judo standout Nikolai Kovalev, an Olympic alternate with “really really good judo” and “really really good hands.” Masvidal said Romanov is “mauling guys” with pressure and throws, and that the matchmakers expect their grappling to “cancel out” and produce “a war” on the feet, while still offering “some of the most exciting grappling” at heavyweight if they clinch.
Beyond the big men, Gamebred will run a parallel lightweight tournament later in the year, with Masvidal saying they already have “about seven UFC veterans, three PFL veterans, and like five or four Bellator alumni” committed.
From a business standpoint, Masvidal said he and partner Lex McMahon “took a little pause” while he was “fundraising as much as we possibly could” to support the format, but now plan “four to five events this year” and “six” in 2027, alternating between the Dominican Republic and Miami. The heavyweight tournament champion is slated to receive “$500,000,” a figure Masvidal called “a working number” that he hopes can grow “one day to be like five million” as the promotion builds.
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – APRIL 24: Jorge Masvidal is interviewed after being defeated by Kamaru Usman of Nigeria in their UFC welterweight championship bout during the UFC 261 event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 24, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
He estimated the current brackets include “about eight UFC vets, two PFL champions, [and] Bellator veterans,” and argued that by stacking tournaments with “names from A through Z, from up‑and‑coming guys to guys like Anthony Smith that have been at the very top of the sport,” Gamebred FC can “turn a lot of heads” among hardcore fans and UFC‑focused casuals who may have never seen bare‑knuckle MMA before.
Mandatory Credit: Esther Lin – MMA Fighting