Jessica Eye is back.
The one-time UFC flyweight title challenger announced Tuesday on The Ariel Helwani Show she has signed on to compete with BKFC.
BKFC also shared the news of Eye’s signing on social media.
Eye is a longtime combat sports veteran best known for her 15-fight UFC run from 2013 to 2022. Once one of the top-ranked flyweights in the world, Eye competed for the 125-pound title in a losing effort against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 238, and ended her time with the promotion on a four-fight losing streak and a UFC record of 5-10.
The 38-year-old has not fought since a loss to Maycee Barber at UFC 276 and she explained to Helwani that she took time off to deal with health issues.
“I think a lot of people didn’t understand what I was going through towards the end of my fight career,” Eye said. “I think a lot of people kind of got confused at times when I started missing weight and having all these problems… I ended up contracting a parasite. You ever heard of that show [Monsters Inside Me]? Legitimately, there was a monster inside me. There was a worm about that long.
“I passed that worm about five weeks before I had my retirement fight with the UFC, which was back in 2022. After that happened, in all reality, I wasn’t ready to retire, but my body was just so exhausted. I went through so many issues that only the UFC really knew about. My gall bladder removal, getting sepsis, getting E. coli, and having all these troubles, that right before I had my retirement fight, we finally found it.”
Eye said her BKFC debut is expected to take place May 10 in Salt Lake City with an opponent still to be determined. As of now, Eye is only signed on for one fight, but she hasn’t ruled out continuing to work with the promotion in the future.
