Sharif Rahman is entering bare-knuckle boxing with a 9-0 professional record, but he is not treating that zero as something worth protecting at all costs. After signing a multi-fight deal with BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing, the 30-year-old says his outlook comes from an older era of the sport, where top fighters met each other and losses were part of the job.
“Protecting the ‘0’ is important, but a loss doesn’t stop you from being great,” Rahman said. “Being undefeated is important in today’s day and age, but I’m an old soul. My entire mindset was based off of old-school fighters where the best fought the best and you were going to lose some fights. And that was inevitable.”
Rahman, known as “C3,” joins BKB as an unbeaten boxer with four knockouts across his nine wins. A Baltimore native now based in Las Vegas, he is the son of former two-time heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman and the brother of professional boxer Hasim Rahman Jr. His first BKB opponent and debut date have yet to be announced.
Sharif Rahman Explains Why a Perfect Record Isn’t Everything After BKB Signing
The move creates a different test for Rahman. BKB bouts are contested without boxing gloves, with fighters competing inside the promotion’s three-sided Trigon. Rahman said the format is a chance to prove himself in a setting where a record cannot carry him through the fight.
“I’ve carried this family name my whole career and I’ve never lost,” Rahman said when the deal was announced. “Bare knuckle is a new test, no gloves, no excuses, just pure skill and heart, and I’m bringing my undefeated record to BKB to prove I belong among the best in the Trigon.”
Still, Rahman does not dismiss the modern value of an unbeaten record. In boxing, an undefeated mark can help a fighter secure bigger opportunities and create leverage at the negotiating table. He pointed to Floyd Mayweather, Terence Crawford and Andre Ward as examples of fighters who showed that a boxer can leave the sport without a defeat and still build a lasting legacy.
“But I think that now, with social media, with Floyd, Bud, Andre Ward, fighters who were able to get in and get out, they showed us a different way,” Rahman said. “You don’t have to take losses to be a legend. You can still be a legend. Most legends have a loss on their records.”
Rahman is bringing an unmarked boxing record into a sport that often forces close-range exchanges and leaves less room for a cautious approach. The signing also places him among BKB’s recent additions from boxing, including Victor Ortiz, Lee Selby, Joseph “JoJo” Diaz, Aspen Ladd, and Alfredo Angulo.
The aim is not to chase a loss, or to treat his unbeaten record as disposable. It is to accept that taking the hard route can come with consequences. If he wins, the Rahman name adds a new chapter in bare-knuckle boxing. If he loses, he has already made clear that one defeat will not decide how he views his career.
