SHANNON BRIGGS is set to lace up the boxing gloves for a comeback fight – before taking them off for his bare-knuckle debut.
The former WBO heavyweight champion has not fought since knocking out Emilio Zarate in 2016, a win he thought would earn him a fight with David Haye.
Shannon Briggs is planning to make a boxing return in AprilCredit: Getty Images – Getty
But after failing a drug test before challenging for the WBA ‘Regular’ title against Fres Oquendo in 2017, the 48-year-old has been out of the ring.
Now Briggs wants to return in April to prepare for his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship debut against UFC veteran and former champion Ricco Rodriguez, 42, in late May.
Briggs told BoxingScene: “I’m looking forward to fighting Ricco, or whoever they have lined up. If they can make it happen, I’m looking forward to knocking him out.
“He was a great champion in UFC. From what I here, he’s a decent fighter. But he talks a lot of smack.
“I’ve been hearing things he said about me. If it’s true, you know what? Let’s go, champ. Let’s make it happen.
“I’ll definitely be boxing in late April, and then going to bare-knuckle late in May. I’ll shake a little rust off with the gloves, and then take the gloves off.”
Briggs – who trained YouTuber Logan Paul for his loss to internet rival KSI – wants to break George Foreman’s record of oldest heavyweight champion, which stands at aged 45.
He said: “I’m always gonna be a boxer. My goal is to break George Foreman’s record.
“I was his last fight [in November 1997], and I’d like to become the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history, and the only one to do it in three different decades.”
Former two-division boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi lost to ex-UFC fighter and Conor McGregor training partner Artem Lobov on his BKBFC debut in June.
But Briggs – who has also competed in kickboxing – believes his punching power is tailor made for fighting with exposed fists.
He added: “I heard he said something about Paulie Malignaggi proved that boxers can’t make the transition over to bare knuckle.
“I guess he never seen my fist. Once he gets hit with one of these hammers, I think he’s gonna have something a lot different say.”
“I’ve always looked to do new things in fight sports. I went over and fought in Japan; I fought in K1. That was great.
“We had a chance to fight in MMA. There was talk back in the day, but it never happened.
“This is something new. I think it’s gonna be great. I had a lot of street fights as a kid, so why not give it a shot?”
Briggs has not fought since knocking out Emilio Zarate in 2016Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Paulie Malignaggi was beaten by Artem Lobov on his bare-knuckle debutCredit: Getty – Contributor
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
