Maki Pitolo

Maki Pitolo is a combat veteran who spent his prime years competing as a middleweight in the UFC, from 2019 through 2021. During his time in the octagon, he notched one signature victory - a powerful second-round TKO of Charles Byrd at UFC 250 in 2020 - but struggled against higher-level opposition in the latter part of his run. A string of losses, notably via submission to Darren Stewart and Julian Marquez as well as decisions to Impa Kasanganay and Callan Potter, signaled it was time for a fresh start.

Rather than fade from combat sports, Pitolo made a bold pivot into bare-knuckle fighting, transitioning from the rule set and safety equipment of the UFC to the stripped-down world of BKFC. This move reflects the modern trend of MMA veterans seeking new platforms and second chapters. His striking pedigree from the octagon is intact, but bare-knuckle demands a different approach to distance management, footwork, and hand protection - presenting both opportunity and risk for a fighter making the crossover.

Pitolo's BKFC debut at BKFC Honolulu in April 2026 was a main event contest against BKFC veteran Doug Coltrane, a significant showcase for the UFC vet testing himself in a promotion that positions itself as a different beast entirely from the mainstream MMA world. Though he fell short in that debut, dropping a first-round knockout, Pitolo remains active in the bareknuckle ranks, chasing the kind of momentum and redemption that has eluded him since his final UFC appearances.