Rolando Dy is one of just a handful of Filipinos to have fought in the UFC. These days the 32 year old is more focused on his bare knuckle boxing career but there is one fight he would be willing to return to MMA for.
Dy says he has been offered a comeback fight by Middle Eastern promotion Brave,
“They offered me very big money and someone I really hate, a very big name in the middle east and a really good fighter and a world champ.”
Real animosity
It is over a year since Dy last competed in MMA. He lost his four fights and decided to switch focus and start comparting in bare knuckle boxing instead.
Boxing is in his blood and it is no surprise to see Dy enjoying success in the ring. His estranged father Rolando Navarette was a world champion although the two don’t have any contact.
We don’t know who the opponent in question is. Dy says he has received an offer to face him in December and it sounds like there is real animosity between the two men,
“Bare knuckle boxing is where I belong now but this fight might be the exemption because I hate this guy so much.”
Switching sport
Fighters have been known to come out of retirement because they love the sport so much. Dy is very upfront about the fact he is more motivated by hate but it sounds like he might be making a comeback before the year is out.
He first fought for Brave in 2017 before signing for the UFC. After being handed his walking papers Dy returned to the Middle East where he won the featherweight title with UAE Warriors.
After losing that belt he returned to Brave and started off well, winning two out of his first three fights. Dy then slipped to a four fight losing skid which seemed to persuade him to switch sports and try his hand at bare knuckle boxing.
At BKB 34 last month he travelled to London to take on local favourite George Hillyard. Dy finished the Englishman in the fourth round and there was talk of him being handed an immediate title shot.
Earlier in the year he won at BKFC Asia 4 in Bangkok, stopping Thailand’s Apisit Sangmuang inside a minute. The 32 year old has impressed fans with his boxing skills but it sounds like he could be returning to MMA for one last fight.
