Melvin Guillard has not had his hand raised in a combat sports venture since 2014, yet Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has opted to book him for its upcoming “KnuckleMania II” event next month.
Guillard, who once held the record for most knockout victories in UFC lightweight history, will fight Ulysses Diaz in a light heavyweight contest on the Feb. 19 card at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
The promotion announced the addition to the card on Tuesday.
After competing in his final UFC bout in March 2014, Guillard has been on a troubling downward slope. He’s competed for World Series of Fighting, Bellator, Rizin FF and a number of other promotions, picking up just one win along the way. He’s currently on a 14-fight winless skid overall in combat sports, including four consecutive defeats under the BKFC banner.
Guillard, 38, most recently competed for BKFC in October and suffered a 59-second knockout loss against fellow MMA veteran Joe Riggs that resulted in a series of orbital fractures.
He won’t get an easy opportunity to bounce back, either, as he takes on Diaz, who owns the fastest knockout in BKFC history at just three seconds. Diaz, 40, is coming off a title-fight loss to Thiago Alves, but prior to that had won five straight fights.
The latest “BKFC: KnuckleMania II” lineup includes:
- Mike Perry vs. Julian Lane
- Britain Beltran vs. Christine Ferea 2 – for women’s flyweight title
- Luis Palomino vs. Martin Brown – for lightweight title
- Joshuah Alvarez vs. Chad Mendes
- Jake Bostwick vs. Francesco Ricchi
- Ulysses Diaz vs. Melvin Guillard
- Joffré Escobar vs. Zion Tomlinson
- Jade Masson-Wong vs. Christine Vicens
