Lee Selby understands the hazards and the intensity involved.

He has already supported from the corner during one contest, giving him direct insight into how bareknuckle boxing is growing in appeal while remaining highly physical.

Yet he also recognizes his market value.

"They presented a substantial offer, which I turned down," Selby explains to BBC Sport Wales.

"They increased the amount, which I rejected once more, until they finally reached a figure that convinced me.

"I compete for rewards. Boxing has defined my life. The reward comes in payment. When compensation aligns, I step in."

His sibling, ex-British flyweight titleholder Andrew Selby, has likewise agreed to a series of bouts in the discipline.

The calculations are straightforward for many.

The figures also make sense for BKB promoters, whose push to elevate bareknuckle boxing benefits from a four-fight contract with the 39-year-old ex-IBF champion, several years after his retirement.

Selby, from Barry, follows other former world champions into the format. IBF super-middleweight and 2012 Olympic gold medalist James DeGale has competed under another banner.

In July, ex-WBC welterweight titleholder and one-time Floyd Mayweather rival Victor Ortiz, now an actor, tops a BKB card in Los Angeles.

By that point Selby will have tested the waters, facing Italy's Antonio Rizzo in his BKB debut on 26 June in Cardiff.

Bareknuckle boxing continues to expand following its first sanctioned events in the US in 2018. Headway charity has labeled it "irresponsible," while promoter Eddie Hearn described it as "a little bit barbaric for me," yet viewership persists and expands.

BKB's persistence in securing the fighter who defended his IBF belt four times before a cut-short loss to Josh Warrington in 2018 signals their strategy.

Promotion CEO David Tetreault termed the signing "a game-changer," aiming to build on established boxing credentials.

Still, the decision prompts questions about Selby's drive.

"It extends beyond finances," noted the fighter known as 'Lightning,' who also captured British, Commonwealth and European crowns.

Since retiring in 2022 after a title-eliminator defeat to Daniel Lemos in Buenos Aires, following a disputed loss to George Kambosos Jr., he has focused on coaching and commentary.

"Local talk in Barry suggested I had exhausted my earnings, yet that is untrue. I made sound investments and hold property.

"I rose from modest roots, a council-house upbringing reliant on benefits and food banks, so substantial fight offers are difficult to decline. Competition runs through me."

This perspective helps explain overlooking the sport's debates to accept the test.

Like many ex-boxers, Selby acknowledges a loss of direction post-retirement.

"I would ride horses, walk dogs and take children to school, living ordinarily," he notes. "Yet a gap remained."

He rejects claims that dangers exceed those in conventional boxing, citing shorter rounds that limit total strikes and gloves that safeguard hands more than heads.

The compact ring nevertheless contributes to higher knockout and technical knockout rates alongside increased cut risks, a deterrent for some and draw for others.

"It is pared down, the purest expression of combat," he states. "And I have points to demonstrate."

When reminded that a world title already validates his ability, he answers: "True, yet my hands were cushioned."

Selby has not yet landed an ungloved strike in competition, though pad sessions indicate his punches land "far quicker and sharper."

He has also not absorbed a bareknuckle blow and notes his sister's concern. His father, whom he terms "a boxing traditionalist," avoids involvement entirely.

His brother Andrew, a fellow boxer and 2012 Olympian, has made the same transition into the three-sided Trigon ring.

"I achieved major amateur success and claimed the British professional crown. Now teaming with Lee in BKB fulfills an ambition," Andrew said.

"Bareknuckle represents the foundational, direct version of our sport. I bring my speed, rhythm and determination to the Trigon, and together we target world titles."

Lee Selby's sole prior involvement was coaching one bout, yet he has analyzed the format and observed growing venue capacities.

Just as he grasps the hazards, Selby remains focused on his goal.

"The immediate focus is my debut, which I prefer not to overlook," he says. "Looking further, another contest followed by a world-title opportunity, successful defense and retirement as a two-time world champion.

"World champion with gloves and without, and Wales' premier fighter."