Lucas Browne, a former heavyweight boxing world champion who also competed in MMA against Daniel Cormier, has revealed the unusual story behind his move into bare knuckle boxing.
Browne won the WBA heavyweight title in 2016 by stopping Ruslan Chagaev and had eight MMA bouts earlier in his career. Now, he is preparing to challenge Gustavo Trujillo for the BKB heavyweight title in Florida on November 22.
According to Browne, his entry into bare knuckle boxing was accidental. He was invited to take part in what he believed would be a simple exhibition in the UK after an undercard fighter pulled out at short notice. Due to his huge size advantage – nearly 90 pounds heavier than his opponent – the bout was classified as an exhibition. Through contacts made on that trip, he was later offered a contract with BKB.
Browne also admitted that the experience was more intense than anything he had previously done. Despite competing in both boxing and MMA, he described bare knuckle fighting as the most nerve-wracking moment of his career because of the real sense of danger involved.
Rather than being put off, Browne said the adrenaline and risk are exactly what drew him to the sport, leading him to fully embrace his new path in bare knuckle boxing.
