Chris Camozzi Retires in the Ring After Slugfest With Esteban Rodriguez at BKFC 88

Former BKFC cruiserweight champion is calling it a career after seven fights with the promotion

Former BKFC cruiserweight champion Chris Camozzi | BKFC

After 54 professional fights, including seven in the bare-knuckle circle, Chris Camozzi called it a career after one final headlining bout at BKFC 88.

Camozzi, 39, retired in the ring on Friday night after losing to Esteban Rodriguez in the BKFC 88 main event. The bloodied former champion told the crowd at the Cobank Arena that he made the decision during fight week.

"I wanted to do this here in Denver, tell everybody thank you," Camozzi said in his post-fight presser. "I decided this week that win, lose, draw, anything, I'm retiring. My life is getting busy. I got a daughter on the way next month. I want to be a family man and be present for my kid, so I decided before with my team here, I'm going out throwing. This is how I wanted to go out. I'd like to go out winning, but either way, I was going to go out giving it all.

"I'm good. Hell of a fight and there's no other way I'd rather go out. On my shield."

Chris Camozzi announces his retirement. What a career! 👏#BKF88 | April 17 | Live on DAZN ▪️ pic.twitter.com/soMrmFoi0G

— DAZN Combat Sports (@DAZNCombat) April 18, 2026

Camozzi rides off into the sunset with a 4-3 record in bare-knuckle that includes a pair of championship victories. He lost the cruiserweight title to Alessio Sakara via controversial split decision at BKFC 83, his last fight before facing Rodriguez in Denver.

Camozzi compiled a 27-15 record in MMA and 3-2 in kickboxing before transitioning to bare-knuckle boxing. He rose to prominence during his 19-fight UFC career that spanned across two separate stints before going on to compete for GLORY Kickboxing and the PFL.

Chris Camozzi retires after first BKFC knockout loss

Esteban Rodriguez (left) landing a punch on Chris Camozzi (right) at BKFC 88 in Denver, Colorado. | BKFC

Although the BKFC was the final stop of his 20-year fighting career, Camozzi undoubtedly had the most success in the bare-knuckle realm. His slick southpaw boxing style and elite head movement operated like a cheat code in the vicious sport, leading to what initially appeared to be a potentially dominant title reign.

However, Camozzi told the fans in Denver that he wanted to end his career with one final war with Rodriguez, a fighter seemingly allergic to boring fights. The cruiserweights delivered, and Camozzi appeared to be taking over before a spot-on punch to his eye led to the first stoppage loss of his bare-knuckle career.

Camozzi had only been finished by knockout once in his 42 professional MMA fights and had never lost inside the distance in kickboxing. His lone MMA knockout loss came by doctor stoppage, making Rodriguez the first fighter to truly beat him in that way in the line of fire.