Lee Selby has stepped back into the ring after a near-two-year absence, signing a four-fight deal with bareknuckle boxing promotion BKB. The former IBF featherweight champion will launch his bareknuckle career against Italy’s Antonio Rizzo on June 26 in Cardiff.
Selby, 39 years old, had been retired from professional boxing since 2022 before the bareknuckle opportunity attracted him back to competition. The financial terms of the agreement proved significant enough to draw the Welsh fighter out of retirement and into this emerging combat sport format.
Bareknuckle Debut
The Cardiff venue holds particular significance for Selby’s return, as he competes on home soil in Wales for his first bareknuckle contest. His opponent, Rizzo, will travel from Italy for the showdown, setting up an international matchup under BKB’s promotional banner.
Multi-Fight Commitment
The scope of Selby’s agreement extends beyond the Rizzo bout, with the four-fight contract establishing a longer-term partnership between the fighter and the promotion. This structure indicates BKB’s confidence in integrating the former world champion into its roster and programming.
BKB Chief Executive David Tetreault has overseen the signing of a fighter whose championship pedigree in traditional boxing now transitions to the bareknuckle format. Selby’s decision to sign with the promotion marks another notable crossover from conventional boxing to the bareknuckle circuit, which has increasingly attracted established fighters seeking new competitive challenges and financial opportunities.