What Did Jessica Eye Say to Opponent Mariya Agapova After Viral BKFC Faceoff Incident?

Jessica Eye didn’t step back into the fight game for headlines. She came back for healing—a second chance to prove to herself that her story wasn’t over. Ahead of her BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) debut, she told Bloody Elbow, “I’m fighting for just me, to show myself that no matter what, you never give up on yourself.”

After retiring from the UFC in 2022, Eye confessed that she had hit rock bottom. She fell into depression, faced legal issues, and spent the next few years rebuilding. Now at 38, the former UFC title challenger is back. But her return to the spotlight took an unexpected detour during the BKFC 76 weigh-ins with a kiss. So, what exactly happened?

In a video shared by Happy Punch on Instagram, during the face-off with Mariya Agapova, the two locked eyes. Tension was in the air. Then, Agapova suddenly leaned in and kissed her.

Eye pushed Agapova away, visibly annoyed by the surprise contact. “That was f—ing weird. F— weird. A little weird, that’s a little weird,” she said moments later, clearly unsettled. The clip quickly went viral. Fans couldn’t stop talking. Was it mind games? A joke gone wrong?

When Agapova was asked to explain the unexpected smooch, she gave a simple, if confusing, response. “She just come too close, like this…” she said, leaning in again to demonstrate.

It was an odd move from Agapova, who enters the BKFC ring on a six-fight losing streak. The former UFC flyweight is desperate for a fresh start. And maybe that kiss, strange as it was, was a last-ditch attempt to shake things up, or rattle her opponent.

Jessica Eye, on the other hand, wasn’t laughing. She brushed it off, but the moment added another layer to her already emotional comeback. After nearly three years out of competition, ‘Evil Eye’ sees this night as a full-circle moment. She made her UFC debut in Texas back in 2013, and now she’s returning to the same state, but with bare knuckles and a mindset rebuilt. But why did she pick BKFC over other combat sports?

Jessica Eye reveals she got “chills” when the BKFC came calling

During her conversation with Bloody Elbow, Jessica Eye gave a simple and brutally honest answer about her decision to ditch the gloves and Octagon for her return to combat sports. According to ‘Evil Eye’, “The UFC is never gonna take me back, and to be very honest, I don’t wanna get kicked again. I don’t wanna wrestle again. Like, boxing is where I originally started. I had five boxing matches before I ever even had my first MMA amateur fight. So, started training again.”

After 27 fights in MMA, Eye clearly has no interest in the grind of grappling or the sting of a kick like the one that left her out cold on the mat in her women’s flyweight championship bout against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 238 back in 2019.

So when BKFC came calling last November, the idea sparked something in her. At first, Eye hesitated. But the more she thought about it, the more it felt right as she confessed, “But I was so overwhelmed. I’m getting chills even thinking about it. Like, oh my gosh. Like, there’s a place for me. I could do this. Like, why not BKFC?”

BKFC offered her a clean slate and a clear path forward, not just a fight, but a potential future. And for Eye, who’s been at rock bottom and climbed her way back; that matters more than any belt ever could.

In conclusion, for Jessica Eye, this comeback is about more than punches and paydays, it’s about purpose. The viral kiss may have stolen the headlines, but Eye’s journey back to the ring tells the real story. In BKFC, she’s found a new home. The question is, will she be able to lay the ghosts of her past to rest and maybe take revenge for the kiss inside the BKFC ring? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!