Diego Sanchez joins BKFC, debut set for Feb. 17

Diego Sanchez is officially headed to bare-knuckle fighting.

The UFC veteran has inked a deal with Bare Knuckle FC and will make his debut against Austin Trout at KnuckleMania 3 on Feb. 17 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the promotion announced Tuesday.

The New Mexico Athletic Commission approved Sanchez-Trout on Tuesday by a vote of 3-1, according to MMA Junkie's Nolan King. There were initially some concerns about Sanchez's health, but he was cleared to compete after undergoing additional medical testing, which included a brain MRI and a neurological exam.

The matchup between Sanchez and Trout will serve as the event's co-headliner.

Sanchez was in talks with BKFC in 2021, but he ended up signing with Eagle FC, the promotion headed by Khabib Nurmagomedov, to face fellow ex-UFC fighter Kevin Lee instead. Sanchez lost that fight by unanimous decision in March 2022.

The 40-year-old was scheduled to face Dan Hardy in a November boxing match, but it was canceled as part of an apparent overhaul of the event's entire lineup.

In 2021, Sanchez was released by the UFC due to a medical dispute; UFC president Dana White said Sanchez's team refused to confirm that the fighter was fit to compete.

Sanchez won "The Ultimate Fighter 1" in 2005 and spent 16 years with the promotion, making 32 walks to the Octagon. Trout, 37, is a former boxing champion who will also be making his BKFC debut.