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 match beneath the Shooto Brazil banner in Rio de Janeiro. Since then, Daimoni has a near-death expertise throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and survived to comprehend 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 beneath the PFL banner instantly after the win. Daimoni thought that getting completed like that will be the top 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 constructive 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 slightly bit cussed, so she didn’t wish to go to the hospital,” Daimoni informed MMA Combating. “We stayed at residence for 3 days, however the it solely acquired worse. I bear in mind telling her I’d solely go to the hospital if she went with me, and by the point we acquired there, it was fairly dangerous. I misplaced 70 % of my lungs in three days.”
The native hospital was full, and mom and daughter needed to share a room. They each acquired worse, and the medical doctors needed to make a tricky choice after one mattress was made out there within the ICU.
“They opted to take me to the ICU as a result of I used to be youthful, and the percentages of me popping out of the ICU had been larger,” Daimoni mentioned. “It was a really, very tough second. I had no thought it was that dangerous. I mainly had no lungs. I had no thought what a intubation was, and it sort of helped keep calm. The primary day within the ICU, I used to be so dangerous 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 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 mentioned. “I went again to the room on a wheelchair and began in search of her. After I acquired 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 tough course of, as a result of I didn’t see something. I virtually don’t even consider it occurred. I’ve to consider the issues they informed me and that’s it. There was no funeral, nothing.”
Daimoni was cleared from the hospital the subsequent day and went again residence, 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 mentioned. “That’s why I used to be away [from fighting] for therefore lengthy. I stored suspending my return as a result of there was no pleasure in doing it. I had some provides, 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 power her to have surgical procedure in 2023. Launched from hospital post-surgery, Daimoni mentioned 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 truly had her take away the gloves to compete.
Watch the match beneath.
Daimoni thought of arising with one other excuse to tug out of the BYB match in opposition to Brace, however made it by for the win by way of cut up choice. With three extra fights beneath 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,” mentioned Daimoni, who holds a MMA file of 8-4 with 5 knockouts to her credit score. “I needed to struggle myself as a way 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 everyone just about is aware of one another, so everyone supported me and that meant lots.”
