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Chad Mendes, a name synonymous with fierce battles in the UFC, seems to have closed the door on his bare-knuckle boxing career—unless the opportunity for redemption against Eddie Alvarez comes knocking. After a split decision loss to Alvarez at BKFC 41 in April 2023, a fight Mendes believes he won, the multiple-time UFC title challenger is reluctant to step back into the ring, but there’s one scenario that could change his mind.
“Honestly, I think the only thing that really intrigues me at this point with bare-knuckle is a rematch with Eddie, mainly because I thought I won that fight,” Mendes shared with MMA Junkie. "Worst case, it was a draw." The back-and-forth battle was a brutal encounter, and Mendes remains convinced that he had done enough to secure the victory. “I’ve talked to Eddie about it a little bit. He kind of seemed like he was into it a little bit."
However, there's a catch.
"What I’ve heard, though, from the grapevine, is his coaches don’t want to do it," Mendes explained. "So I don’t know if it’s going to happen or not, but that’s really the only thing that interests me in that world anymore. If that’s not going to happen, I probably won’t do anymore, no.”
With the door to BKFC nearly closed, Mendes isn’t stepping away from competition entirely. Just recently, he showcased his skills in a grappling match at ADXC 5 in Abu Dhabi, where he secured a victory over fellow ex-UFC fighter Diego Brandao. For Mendes, grappling offers a way to stay active and continue his lifelong passion for combat sports, without the harsh toll of bare-knuckle boxing.
“I like these grappling events,” Mendes said. “I like being able to continue staying in shape, doing grappling, strength and conditioning, stuff like that, which is something I’ve done since I was a young kid. And I love to do it more than getting punched in the face, honestly. So I will definitely continue to do these, I think, moving forward until my body is like, ‘That’s enough.'”
For now, Chad Mendes seems content to focus on grappling, but the possibility of a rematch with Eddie Alvarez remains a tantalizing “what if.” Whether the rematch happens or not, Mendes continues to stay true to his competitive spirit, even if it means leaving the gloves behind for good.
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