UFC vet Lorenz Larkin explains why he won't compete in bareknuckle boxing
Larkin has competed in multiple major MMA organizations throughout his career, including UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, and PFL. Now with no ties to any major MMA promotion at the moment, Larkin has already tested his skills under the Karate Combat banner and sees boxing in his future as well.
To be clear, Larkin is only interested in traditional, gloved boxing. Bareknuckle boxing, which has become a popular avenue for former ex-UFC fighters, is of zero interest to "The Monsoon."
"Nah, man. ... If a fighter gets into a fight in the street, it's gonna be quick," Larkin told MMA Junkie Radio. "The fight's gonna be over, done deal, because the other guy doesn't know anything. They have bare hands, that fighter is probably going to punch him two times, if that, and it's gonna be over. But, you get two guys having a training camp that are going to go in and fight each other, with bare knuckles? No. I'm good off that.
"The percentage of cuts is like, I don't know – I would like to know that statistic in BKFC. Like what is the percentage of people getting cut? It has to be like 80 percent. Eighty-five percent."
Larkin hopes to get a deal done with Misfits Boxing soon so he can challenge himself in the sweet science, but his most recent venture into karate worked out well in his first appearance.
At Karate Combat 56, Larkin won a unanimous decision against Buddy Wallace. He likes the contractual setup with the promotion because he was able to work out a deal that allows him to compete in other combat sports, with no exclusivity.
Larkin, 38, started his pro MMA career in 2009, and doesn't intend to hang up the gloves soon. However, once he feels the game catching up to him, he will promptly call it a career.
"I always told myself, once when I fight and I feel like these guys are too fast for me and I just can't keep up, then that's my time and I'm not scared to be like, 'That's it,'" Larkin said. "I'm not trying to chase anything. But you know what? Especially in my last three fights, have been like young killers and I'm sparking those guys. ... I've got good guys behind me, I'm training smart, and I'm not taking damage."
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