Masvidal’s Bareknuckle return

Jorge Masvidal’s fight promotion came back before Jorge Masvidal did. On April 10 in Santo Domingo, his Gamebred Bareknuckle Mixed Martial Arts card returned with Anthony Smith beating Chase Sherman by first-round submission in 3:21 and Thiago Santos stopping Guto Inocente by first-round technical knockout in 4:21. (sports.yahoo.com) This was not a one-night nostalgia show. The Dominican Republic card opened two 16-man brackets, one at heavyweight and one at lightweight, with $500,000 prize pools that Masvidal said would play out across four rounds in 2026. (mmajunkie.usatoday.com) Bareknuckle Mixed Martial Arts is exactly what it sounds like: mixed martial arts rules, but without gloves on the hands. Masvidal has spent years trying to turn that format into its own lane, separate from standard cage fighting and separate from straight bareknuckle boxing. (mmajunkie.usatoday.com) The long gap is part of why this card drew attention. Yahoo’s results story called it Masvidal’s first event as a promoter since November 2024, which made Friday night feel less like a routine booking and more like a relaunch. (sports.yahoo.com) Masvidal stocked the bracket with names people already knew from the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, Chase Sherman, Charles Rosa, Ray Cooper the Third, and Luis Pena all appeared on the April 10 lineup in Santo Domingo. (sports.yahoo.com) (tapology.com) That veteran-heavy strategy showed up in the main event. Smith had retired after his April 2025 loss to Zhang Mingyang in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, then came back for Masvidal’s heavyweight tournament and finished Sherman in his first appearance for the promotion. (mmajunkie.usatoday.com) (sports.yahoo.com) The next stop was already on the calendar before the cage door closed in Santo Domingo. Masvidal told MMA Junkie the second event is set for May 1 in Miami, which means the company is trying to run a tournament schedule, not disappear for another year. (mmajunkie.usatoday.com) Masvidal also used the April 10 show to announce another recognizable matchup: Yoel Romero against Hector Lombard in bareknuckle mixed martial arts. That is the clearest sign yet that his role here is promoter first, using old rivalries and familiar names to build a format that still needs regular events to feel real. (sports.yahoo.com)