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Former Olympian and world champion announces bareknuckle return
Former world super-middleweight champion boxing champion James DeGale has officially announced his return to combat sports, saying that he will be fighting a bareknuckle bout in Manchester at the end of next month.
DeGale, 25-3-1 (15), who retired after a 2019 loss to Chris Eubank Jr, will face Matt Floyd at the AO Arena in Manchester on 27 September. Now 39 years old, DeGale will face Floyd, 15-2 (10), of Australia. The evening’s events will be televised exclusively on DAZN.
Writing on Instagram, DeGale said: “I’m back, GB. This time, the gloves are off. Everyone asking what version you’re getting… 7 years out, body healed, mind sharp – it’s the best one yet. Demolition job pending. See you in the circle.”
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After winning Olympic gold at the 2008 Games, DeGale turned professional in Birmingham on the undercard of Matt Skelton and Martin Rogan. He would go onto beat Paul Smith in 2010 for the British title, before losing a majority decision to George Groves the following year.
Rebuilding his career after the Groves loss, DeGale lifted the European title in 2011, then defended it twice in 2012. It took another three years for a world-title shot when he travelled to Boston, MA, and outpointed Andre Dirrell to win the IBF super-middleweight title.
He followed up with defences against Lucian Bute in Canada, Rogelio Medina Luna in Washington DC, and Badou Jack (a draw) in New York. After losing his belt in London to Caleb Truax, DeGale won it back in Las Vegas.
Now, after six years out of the ring, DeGale will return to fight in the BKFC 81 promotion being held in Manchester. In doing so, he joins other elite boxers such as Paul Malignaggi and Austin Trout, who have moved over to fight in the ungloved code.
On Facebook, his opponent Floyd wrote: “Everyone is talking about how James DeGale is an Olympic gold medallist and a two-time world champion. None of that matters. He hasn’t come from where I’ve come from. This fight is just another easy fight for me.”
Elsewhere, Floyd wrote: “I was in prison a few years ago where I trained myself. We don’t believe I’ve ever lost a fight. I just beat a Hall of Fame legend. Im about to fight an Olympic gold medallist and ex-world champion. After my win, I’ll fight one of the most-famous fighters in the world. Then I’m going to be fighting someone a lot of people consider to be the greatest of all time. Every man out there should know my past and know I got out of prison at 30 and what I’ve done [and] what I’m about to do. I’ve done this. I am doing this and making history.”
The Hall of Fame fighter Floyd was referring to is most likely to be Sirimongkhon Iamthuam, 100-6 (63), whom Floyd outpointed in Ankara, Turkey, in December last year. Floyd turned professional in 2021. Since then, his only two losses have been on points – once, against Iamthuam in Bangkok in late 2024 that he subsequently avenged, and over four rounds against Jack Gregory, 7-1 (2), in June.
Interestingly, Floyd has been fighting around the 185-195lb mark, meaning that he has been competing at around 20lbs higher than DeGale did in his prime. Their fight in Manchester is set in the 175lb division.
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