Former UFC Fighter Jeff Molina Signs with BKFC, Returns in November

Jeff Molina is preparing to restart his fighting career, but he will do so without gloves this time.

The former UFC flyweight contender has signed a contract to join the roster at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), where he will compete in bare-knuckle action for the first time. He finalized the agreement after being released by the UFC following a betting scandal involving his coach, James Krause.

Molina will become eligible to compete after November 5th, when he concludes serving a three-year suspension issued by the Nevada Athletic Commission.

The circumstances surrounding his suspension originated from an incident in November 2022 involving his teammate, Darrick Minner. Minner fought and lost to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke by first-round TKO at UFC Vegas 64. Suspicion arose when betting lines for the fight shifted dramatically just before the event began, with Minner becoming a significant underdog before ultimately losing the bout quickly.

Krause and Minner were subsequently suspended for failing to disclose an injury before the fight, but the actual investigation expanded to cover a potential betting scandal that led several sportsbooks to stop accepting wagers on UFC fights.

This wider investigation is what led to Molina`s suspension due to his involvement with placing bets on the fight involving his teammate.

According to Nevada authorities, Molina possessed direct knowledge of a serious injury sustained by Darrick Minner but failed to report this to the commission. Instead of informing the commission, he placed significant bets on the outcome of Minner’s fight with a gaming entity.

As a result, Molina received a three-year suspension along with a fine and is now scheduled to be eligible to compete again in November.

During his tenure with the UFC before his suspension, Molina maintained an undefeated 3-0 record in the flyweight division.

Molina joins a BKFC roster that has seen continuous expansion in recent years, with the organization recently holding its first event in Italy and announcing plans for a debut card in Texas in June.