Bubba McDaniel’s 50th fight is a big one.

He steps into the BKFC Squared Circle for the first time against fellow UFC vet Chris Camozzi at BKFC 31 on Saturday in Denver, LIVE on the BKFC app. 

“I needed my 50th to be a big one – I didn’t want to do something just mediocre. I wanted this to be a big one,” he says with a smile before his bare knuckle fighting debut.

Many fighters publicly predict knockouts before their bouts. McDaniel is not one of those fighters.

“I think it’s going to go to a decision,” he says. “He’s tough, I’m tough. The styles match up well with us, so I think it’s going to be a decision, but y’all are gonna see some fireworks from start to finish. Neither one of us wants to touch the canvas. If we do, we’re getting right back up and going right back at it.” 

McDaniel is preparing to fight for the first time since 2018. He admits that he was recently unsure if he’d get another chance to compete after having to overcome the tragic loss of a child, a number of serious injuries and frustrating fight cancellations.

But now that McDaniel has arrived with BKFC, he hopes to pick up right where he left off a few years ago.

“If BKFC wants to keep me, I want to fight. Fifty is the number I’ve been searching for. But if they want to keep me after this, I want to fight,” he says.

“It’s in my blood, man, and I need it. I need to fight.” 

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