Jason Thomas Knight (born July 14, 1992) is an American bare knuckle boxer and a professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

. He has previously competed in the UFC and Titan FC.

Background

Reared in

D'Iberville, Mississippi D'Iberville ( ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States, immediately north of Biloxi, across the Back Bay. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 9,486. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi Metropolitan S ...

, Knight began training at the age of 14 to stay out of trouble and

street fighting Street fighting is hand-to-hand combat in public places, between individuals or groups of people. The venue is usually a public place (e.g. a street) and the fight sometimes results in serious injury or occasionally even death. Some street fig ...

. He attended George County High School before dropping out at the age of 16, and began training with UFC veteran Alan Belcher.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Knight began competing as an amateur at the age of 14, and fought ten times before turning professional in 2009 at age 17. He then compiled a record of 16–1 before being signed by the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Knight made his promotional debut against Tatsuya Kawajiri on December 11, 2015 at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale, replacing Mirsad Bektić on two weeks' notice. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Knight faced Jim Alers on July 23, 2016 at UFC on Fox 20. He won the fight via split decision. The combat was awarded the ''Fight of the Night'' bonus. Knight next faced

Dan Hooker Daniel Hooker (born 13 February 1990) is a New Zealand mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Hooker was the King in the Ring Middleweight Kickboxing Champion and WKBF ...

on November 26, 2016 at

UFC Fight Night 101 ''UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 101'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on November 27, 2016, at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. B ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Knight faced Alex Caceres on January 28, 2017 at UFC on Fox 23. He won the fight via submission in the second round, winning his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus. Knight faced Chas Skelly on May 13, 2017 at UFC 211. He won the fight via TKO in the third round. The win also earned Knight his second consecutive ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Knight faced Ricardo Lamas on July 29, 2017 at UFC 214. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round. Knight faced Gabriel Benítez on December 9, 2017 at UFC Fight Night 123. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Knight faced Makwan Amirkhani on May 27, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 130. Despite four successful knockdowns during the three-round fight, Knight lost via a contentious split decision. Knight faced Jordan Rinaldi on November 3, 2018 at UFC 230. He lost the fight via unanimous decision and was subsequently released by the organization. Following the stint in bare-knuckle boxing, Knight was expected to make his return to mixed martial arts against Christopher Ramírez at iKon Fighting Federation 5 on March 5, 2021. However, Ramírez had to withdraw from the fight due to problems getting into the United States and was replaced by Taurean Bogguess. In turn, Bogguess withdrew during the fight week and was replaced by Cliff Wright. Knight won the bout via second-round submission. On May 29, 2021, it was announced that Knight is scheduled to headline the inaugural event of

Jorge Masvidal Jorge Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Masvidal has been competing professionally since 2003; he ...

's Gamebred Fighting Championship against Charles Bennett on June 18, 2021. The bout had typical mixed martial arts rules, but was contested without gloves. Knight was knocked down early on, but went on to win the fight via rear-naked choke submission in round one. Following the successful bout in Gamebred FC, Knight signed with the

Professional Fighters League The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promo ...

and faced Bobby Moffett at PFL 9 on August 27, 2021. At weigh-ins, Moffett weighed in at 148.2 pounds, missing weight by 2.2 pounds. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Moffett was fined a percentage of his purse, which went to Knight. He lost the bout via unanimous decision. On May 19, 2022, Knight headlined Gulf Coast MMA 15 against Rey Trujillo. Knight defeated his opponent by a first round TKO.

Bare knuckle boxing

Following his UFC release, Knight signed a one-fight contract with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. He faced

Artem Lobov Artem Lobov (russian: Артём Лобов; born August 11, 1986) is a Russian, former professional mixed martial artist and boxer based in Ireland. He previously competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (U ...

in the main event of Bare Knuckle FC 5 on April 6, 2019. Knight lost the bout and several of his teeth. Knight was expected to headline Bare Knuckle FC 7 on August 10, 2019 against

Leonard Garcia Leonard Garcia (born July 14, 1979, in Plainview, Texas) is an American former mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Featherweight division of the Legacy Fighting Championship, and is the former Legacy FC Featherweight Champion. ...

. However on July 15, 2019, Knight revealed on his social media that he was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a rib injury. Knight defeated Artem Lobov in a rematch headlining Bare Knuckle FC 9 on November 16, 2019, earning the victory by TKO in the fifth round.

Personal life

In 2012, Knight was arrested and charged with grand

larceny Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of Engl ...

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

** Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Jim Alers ** Performance of the Night (Two times) * Atlas Fights ** Atlas Fights Featherweight Championship (One time) ***One successful title defense ** Interim Atlas Fights Featherweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 23-7 , Rey Trujillo , TKO (punches) , Gulf Coast MMA 15 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:05 ,

Biloxi, Mississippi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in and one of two county seats of Harrison County, Mississippi, United States (the other being the adjacent city of Gulfport). The 2010 United States Census recorded the population as 44,054 and in 2019 the estimated pop ...

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Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is no ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–6 , Charles Bennett , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Gamebred Fighting Championships 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:01 ,

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, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–6 , Jordan Rinaldi , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 230 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

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, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–4 , Gabriel Benítez , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Fresno, California Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–3 , Ricardo Lamas , TKO (punches) , UFC 214 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:34 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–2 , Chas Skelly , TKO (punches) , UFC 211 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:39 ,

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–2 , Alex Caceres , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:21 ,

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 17–2 , Jim Alers , Decision (split) , UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–2 , Tatsuya Kawajiri , Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber Finale , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–1 , Musa Khamanaev , Submission (triangle choke) , Titan FC 35 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:06 ,

Ridgefield, Washington Ridgefield is a city in northern Clark County, Washington. The population was 10,319 at the time of the 2020 census, up from 4,763 in 2010, making it the fastest growing city in the state of Washington. Located within the Portland metropolit ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–1 , Thiago Moisés , Decision (unanimous) , Atlas Fights 25 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1 , Michael Roberts , Decision (unanimous) , Atlas Fights 23 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 , Gilbert Burgos , Submission (gogoplata) , Atlas FC 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:23 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 , Harry Johnson , Submission ( Von Flue choke) , V3 Fights: Johnson vs. Shuffield , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:38 ,

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the County seat, seat of Shelby County, Tennessee, Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 Uni ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Tony Way , Submission (inverted triangle choke) , Atlas Fights: Battle on Mobile Bay , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:03 , Mobile, Alabama, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Ronald Jacobs , TKO (punches) , Atlas Fights 20 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:43 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Bradley Collins , Submission (armbar) , Atlas Fights 19 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:06 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Matt McCook , Submission (rear naked choke) , Atlas Fights 13 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:52 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–1 , Michael Roberts , Decision (unanimous) , Atlas Fights 12 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Shawn Hayes , Submission (triangle choke) , Atlas Fights 10 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:33 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , James Rutherford , Submission (guillotine choke) , Atlas Fights 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:31 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Jonathan Burdine , TKO (punches) , FFI: Blood and Sand 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:05 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Ronald Jacobs , Submission (triangle choke) , UEP: Battle at the Beach , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:22 , Daphne, Alabama, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Daren Hayes , Submission (triangle choke) , UEP: Battle at the Beach , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:04 ,

Orange Beach, Alabama Orange Beach is a resort city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 8,095. Geography Orange Beach is located along the Gulf of Mexico, and is the easternmost community on Alabama's Gulf Coast, wit ...

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Patrick Needham , Submission (triangle choke) , UEP: The Reckoning , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:10 ,

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Bare knuckle record

, Win , align=center, 1–1 ,

, TKO (corner stoppage) , Bare Knuckle FC 9 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 0:27 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bare Knuckle FC 5 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 2:00 ,