Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir signs with Bare Knuckle FC

A former UFC heavyweight champion is heading to the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

Frank Mir has signed with the promotion. His management team confirmed the news via Twitter after Fight Bananas originally reported the signing Friday.

The 41-year-old Las Vegas native spent 15 years with the UFC, making his debut with a submission over Roberto Traven at UFC 34 and lasting all the way to 2016 with the promotion. Along the way, he gained the UFC heavyweight belt at UFC 48 with a technical submission of Tim Sylvia, then had to vacate after suffering injuries in a motorcycle accident.

Mir later won interim gold with a second-round TKO of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 92, then lost the unification match to Brock Lesnar in one of the biggest events in mixed martial arts history at UFC 100.

Bellator signed Mir after he left the UFC, and he finished his MMA career with a decision victory over Roy Nelson at Bellator 231 in October 2019.