The bare-knuckle fighting scene continues to attract former professional boxers, with 42-year-old Dejan Zlaticanin becoming the latest experienced fighter to make the move from traditional boxing.
Zlaticanin will not be the only former professional boxer appearing at BKFC Belgrade on October 17. Croatian heavyweight Agron Smakici, 36, is also set to compete on the Serbia card as both fighters look to begin new chapters without gloves.
Between them, the two men bring significant experience from professional boxing. Zlaticanin has shared the ring with notable names including Mikey Garcia and Ricky Burns, while Smakici has faced Bakhodir Jalolov and Agit Kabayel.
Their switch to bare-knuckle competition comes after both fighters saw their momentum in conventional boxing stall, making BKFC an opportunity for a fresh start.
Smakici, a southpaw from Croatia, spent much of his professional career fighting in Germany and Austria. His most recent bout came in May, when he travelled to Manchester, England, to face Jalolov. Smakici was stopped in the seventh round of that contest.
He enters the next stage of his combat sports career with a professional boxing record of 21 wins and four defeats, including 19 victories by knockout. Three of those losses have come within the past three years.
Zlaticanin, a veteran southpaw from Montenegro, has been considerably less active in recent years. He has fought only once since 2021, following defeats to Zaur Abdullaev and Lewis Ritson.
After a lengthy spell away from the ring, Zlaticanin returned in April 2024 and stopped Adrian Orban inside the opening round. He finished his professional boxing career with a record of 25 wins, four losses and 17 knockouts.
Now, at the age of 42, Zlaticanin is preparing for a different kind of challenge as he joins the growing list of former professional boxers testing themselves in the increasingly popular world of bare-knuckle combat.
