Bareknuckle MMA event featuring Russians Kovalenko and Petrov receives mixed reviews

A review of Jorge Masvidal's Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA event featuring Smith vs Sherman found the card underwhelming despite expectations for heightened violence. Russian fighters Nikolai Kovalenko (11-2) and Denis Petrov (1-1) competed on the card. Kovalenko dominated early but exhausted and lost by disqualification, while Petrov secured a knockout victory after nearly being stopped himself. Former UFC fighters Anthony Smith, Chase Sherman, Luis Peña, and Thiago Santos also competed, with Smith returning from retirement with a blacked-out tattooed arm to defeat Sherman. The reviewer concluded the event had mediocre production, mostly boring fights, and washed-up names, expressing doubts about the format's future despite its novelty.