Bianca Daimoni upset former WBC worldwide bantamweight and EBU European tremendous flyweight champion Ashley Brace in a bare-knuckle boxing match at BYB in February, beating the professional boxer in enemy territory in Cardiff, and already felt like a winner by getting again in motion.
Daimoni’s BYB Naked Knuckle debut occurred practically 5 years after her final skilled bout, a one-night event underneath the Shooto Brazil banner in Rio de Janeiro. Since then, Daimoni has a near-death expertise throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and survived to understand her mom didn’t make it.
The 38-year-old veteran was devastated after struggling the primary knockout lack of her profession by the arms of Mariana Morais, who was awarded a shot at light-weight star Kayla Harrison underneath the PFL banner instantly after the win. Daimoni thought that getting completed like that may be the tip of her profession, after which the pandemic hit.
A 12 months later, and with no hopes of getting fighter booked within the foreseeable future, Daimoni examined optimistic for COVID-19 in February 2021. And so did her mom, who lived in the identical home.
“My mother was 63, and she or he was a bit of bit cussed, so she didn’t need to go to the hospital,” Daimoni advised MMA Preventing. “We stayed at house for 3 days, however the it solely received worse. I bear in mind telling her I’d solely go to the hospital if she went with me, and by the point we received there, it was fairly unhealthy. I misplaced 70 p.c of my lungs in three days.”
The native hospital was full, and mom and daughter needed to share a room. They each received worse, and the docs needed to make a tricky determination after one mattress was made obtainable within the ICU.
“They opted to take me to the ICU as a result of I used to be youthful, and the chances of me popping out of the ICU had been increased,” Daimoni stated. “It was a really, very troublesome second. I had no concept it was that unhealthy. I mainly had no lungs. I had no concept what a intubation was, and it sort of helped keep calm. The primary day within the ICU, I used to be so unhealthy they needed to revive me. They thought I wouldn’t make it. My household says [the doctors] had been like, ‘Let see if she makes it by way of the night time.’”
Daimoni was in coma for eight days. She wakened feeling higher, however solely till she went returned to room.
“I wakened, and my mother wasn’t there,” Daimoni stated. “I went again to the room on a wheelchair and began on the lookout for her. After I received there, there was one other girl on the mattress. [The doctors said] ‘Your mom handed away two days in the past.’ It was a really, very troublesome course of, as a result of I didn’t see something. I virtually don’t even imagine it occurred. I’ve to imagine the issues they advised me and that’s it. There was no funeral, nothing.”
Daimoni was cleared from the hospital the following day and went again house, however her life wasn’t the identical. She fought for her life and survived an induced coma, however misplaced a part of her love for all times along with her mom gone.
“That affected my psychological state,” Daimoni stated. “That’s why I used to be away [from fighting] for therefore lengthy. I saved suspending my return as a result of there was no pleasure in doing it. I had some gives, and I at all times agreed to it, however then got here up with an excuse to not come again.”
On high of that, an previous again damage from her Invicta FC days returned and drive her to have surgical procedure in 2023. Launched from hospital post-surgery, Daimoni stated her husband and coach, alongside with teammates and mates, incentivized her to place the gloves again on to compete. It’s been years with no fights, and the one provide that got here really had her take away the gloves to compete.
Watch the match beneath.
Daimoni thought of developing with one other excuse to drag out of the BYB match in opposition to Brace, however made it by way of for the win by way of break up determination. With three extra fights underneath contract with the promotion — and doorways open for a MMA return —, Daimoni needs to remain energetic in 2025.
“Invicta is , however we additionally loved naked knuckle boxing,” stated Daimoni, who holds a MMA file of 8-4 with 5 knockouts to her credit score. “I needed to combat myself with the intention to come again and win. I knew that. And my husband helped me all through this complete course of. We stay in a small city, and all people just about is aware of one another, so all people supported me and that meant rather a lot.”
