Jeff Molina is ready to resume his combat career, but this time he does it without wearing gloves.
The former UFC flyweight candidate signs a contract to join the BKFC roster, where he competes in naked knuckle action for the first time. He signed a contract after being released from the UFC after a betting scandal involving coach James Kraus.
BKFC officials confirmed their signature with MMA Fighting on Tuesday after Morina first announced the news Ariel Hell Wani Show.
Molina will not be eligible to compete until November 5th until it offers three years of suspension that the Nevada Athletics Committee took over.
The situation surrounding his suspension was first involved with Molina’s teammate Darrick Minner after losing in a first round TKO at UFC Vegas 64 in November 2022.
Krause and Minner were suspended for not reporting injuries prior to the fight, but the actual investigation included a potential betting scandal in which several sportsbooks refused to bet on UFC fights.
That’s why Molina was forced to halt as he was involved in a bet on a fight involving his teammates.
“After Molina had first-hand knowledge of the serious injuries sustained by fighter Darik Minner, Molina failed to notify Minner’s committee of serious injuries in violation of NAC 467.885, and instead of notifying the committee further, he placed an important bet on the gaming entity about the outcome of Minner’s fight.
Ultimately, Morina was suspended for three years along with paying a small fine and is eligible to compete again in November.
During a short stint with the UFC, Morina went 3-0 in the flyweight division before the suspension.
Molina has joined the growing BKFC roster, and the organization has been constantly expanding in recent years with its first event in Italy this past weekend, with the naked knuckle outfit that will debut in Texas with a planned card in June.