Chad Mendes Announces Un-Retirement, Transition to Bare Knuckle Fighting

Who is Chad Mendes Announces Un-Retirement, Transition to Bare Knuckle Fighting?

Taken from JRE MMA Show 113 w/Chad Mendes:

Topics and Timestamps

• 01Chad Mendes announces he is coming out of retirement from MMA
• 02Mendes is transitioning to bare knuckle fighting instead of returning to traditional MMA
• 03Discussion about the differences between bare knuckle and gloved fighting styles
• 04Mendes explains his motivation for un-retiring and trying a new combat sport
• 05Joe and Chad discuss the physical and technical challenges of bare knuckle boxing
• 06Chad talks about his training camp and preparation for bare knuckle competition
• ▶Chad announces he's coming out of retirement0:00:00
• ▶Chad reveals he's transitioning to bare knuckle fighting0:05:00
• ▶Discussion about how bare knuckle changes fighting fundamentals0:15:00
• ▶Chad explains why gloves vs bare knuckle requires completely different techniques0:25:00
• ▶Chad discusses his training camp and preparation for bare knuckle debut0:35:00

The Show

Chad Mendes sits down with Joe Rogan to discuss one of the biggest announcements of his fighting career. After stepping away from MMA, Mendes reveals he's not just coming back to fighting, he's completely changing lanes and moving into bare knuckle boxing. This is a significant pivot for someone with his level of success in MMA, and the conversation dives deep into what prompted this decision and what it means for his future.

The core of the discussion centers on why bare knuckle appeals to Mendes at this point in his career. Rather than going back to the same octagon where he'd already accomplished so much, he saw an opportunity to challenge himself in a completely different way. Joe brings up the obvious question everyone's thinking: why would you voluntarily take away the hand protection that gloves provide? Mendes breaks down how bare knuckle actually changes the entire calculus of fighting. Your hand speed is different, your angles are different, the way you generate power shifts fundamentally. For someone like Chad who's been competing in gloves his entire career, this represents a genuine new frontier.

They get into the technical weeds about fighting styles and what transfers over. Mendes explains that his wrestling background won't help him much in bare knuckle, which means he's essentially starting fresh as a competitor. That's both terrifying and exciting. The conversation touches on hand durability, punch selection, and how you have to completely recalibrate your offense when you're not wearing protective gear. Joe's naturally curious about the injury risk, and Chad addresses it head on, acknowledging that bare knuckle is genuinely dangerous in ways MMA isn't.

What comes through in the discussion is that this isn't a money grab or a desperation move. Mendes is at a point in his career where he's proven everything he needs to prove in MMA. His legacy is secure. This is about testing himself against a new challenge and seeing what he's capable of when the fundamentals change completely. There's something almost philosophical about it, the idea that you can have decades of fighting experience and still have everything to learn.

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