MMA News

Category: BKFC

Latest BKFC news. The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship league was founded in 2018 by former professional boxer David Feldman.

  • Artem Lobov: Prime Conor McGregor Takes Out Ilia Topuria

    Artem Lobov: Prime Conor McGregor Takes Out Ilia Topuria

    Conor McGregor in the prime of his career was a true phenomenon and a former compatriot of ‘The Notorious’ thinks that version of McGregor can put out the lights of reigning UFC lightweight champion, Ilia Topuria. This was a sentiment recently expressed by Artem Lobov during an interview with Jordan Ellis for Bloody Elbow.

    ‘The Russian Hammer’ covered several subjects during that chat ahead of his return to combat sports after over four years as Lobov will finally clash with long time rival Zubaira Tukhugov at PFL Champions Series 2 on October 3rd in a catchweight contest at 165 lbs. Conor McGregor and Artem Lobov had a publically documented fall out with each other but the latter does still hold the former’s fighting ability in high regard.

    When touching on how a hypothetical mega fight would play out between the pair of fighters who’ve both held UFC gold at featherweight as well as lightweight, Lobov said,

    “I’ll be honest with you. I’m a massive fan of Ilia. You know, his style is incredible. You know, he’s incredible striking, very ballsy, you know, he fights aggressively, you know, comes in fearless, you know, good wrestling. It’s; I put him up very, very high up there. I still do think, if I’m really honest, I might be a little bit biased. But I do think that in their prime, Conor still, I think, edges it, you know.”

    “He was just honestly; just watching Conor like in his prime was incredible. Just untouchable, you know, and I watched him in trainings, you know. I annihilate and annihilate, you know, like five guys in a row one by one, you know. They all coming in fresh, including me and him not even breathing heavy. Like he was just a killer, you know.”

    Conor McGregor could have beat Topuria as well as Mayweather and Nurmagomedov

    Further expressing how pedigreed of a pugilist he felt that Conor McGregor was during his prime in the UFC, Lobov continued,

    “So for me, as I said, I’m probably biased, but for me, it’s hard to imagine anyone doing anything to that corner, you know. I feel that Conor could have beat everyone that; that’s, you know, for me. He could have beat even [Floyd] Mayweather and Khabib [Nurmagomedov], you know, that corner. But Ilia is probably a very close second to me.”

    “Right behind Conor, right behind top level Conor, you know. But right now Ilia is the best. There’s there’s no question about it. He’s the number one guy now. Yeah, he’s so dominant and so exciting to watch and yeah, I love watching his fights.”

  • Mike Perry, Jeremy Stephens Get Physical In Build Up To BKFC 82 King Of Violence Title Bout

    Mike Perry, Jeremy Stephens Get Physical In Build Up To BKFC 82 King Of Violence Title Bout

    When Mike Perry vs. Jeremy Stephens was first booked for a King of Violence bout at BKFC 82, you already knew there was going to be physicality. But some of that physicality showed weeks before the two are scheduled to enter the ring and throw down.

    Both Perry and Stephens were present at BKFC 80, which took place on September 10 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The two were at one point both brought into the Squared Circle, taking part in a segment during the event to promote the highly anticipated outing.

    As the promotion ended, however, Perry and Stephens faced off. There, the two exchanged words before Perry shoved Stephens. “Lil’ Heathen” attempted to respond with the two having a brief scuffle before officials and security intervened.

    Mike Perry, Jeremy Stephens Have To Be Separated During Promo Time For Upcoming BKFC 82 Bout

    Perry and Stephens got nose-to-nose again before each was led away from the ring.

    The bout is one of the BKFC’s most prominent ever given the finisher status and violent intensity of both men, as well as their past UFC experience. It’s also been previously teased that Conor McGregor may want to face the winner in his own potential BKFC debut down the line — especially if Perry wins, given their history.

    This will be Perry’s sixth BKFC bout, and he is currently a perfect 5-0 in the promotion. Perry originally became the King of Violence with a finish of Eddie Alvarez in December 2023. This will be Perry’s first BKFC bout since stopping Thiago Alves in a minute at Knucklemania IV in April 2024.

    Stephens is 3-0 in BKFC thus far, coming into this bout off his own finish of Alvarez at Knucklemania V this past January.

    BKFC 82 takes place on October 4 from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

  • Yoel Romero Destroys Opponent In BKFC Debut With Vicious Round 2 Knockout

    Yoel Romero Destroys Opponent In BKFC Debut With Vicious Round 2 Knockout

    Yoel Romero showed at 48 that he still has everything it takes to shake the combat sports world.

    On Friday night, Romero stepped into gloveless combat for the first time at BKFC 80, held at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida, where he squared off against fellow debutant Theo Doukas in a heavyweight showdown.

    Image: @bareknucklefc/Instagram

    Although the “Soldier of God” took a measured approach in the opening round while his opponent held firm, the momentum swung violently in the second. The former Olympic medalist unleashed his trademark explosiveness, dropping Doukas three times in brutal fashion.

    Reeling from a deep cut on his forehead, Doukas was unable to answer the count after the third knockdown, forcing the referee to wave it off at the 1:56 mark and awarding Romero a devastating TKO victory.

    When Did Yoel Romero Part Ways With UFC?

    After his unsuccessful attempt to capture the middleweight title against then-champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 248 in March 2020, Yoel Romero’s run in the Octagon ended abruptly, despite having three fights left on his contract.

    Following his UFC exit, the “Soldier of God” made the move to Bellator, where he went 3-2 and battled his way to a light heavyweight title shot against Vadim Nemkov at Bellator 297, ultimately dropping a decision.

    His chapter with the promotion closed in February 2024 at the PFL vs. Bellator crossover event, where Romero capped off his run in style with a unanimous decision victory over former UFC title challenger Thiago Santos.

    Romero also tested himself under the unconventional ruleset of Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing Championship, where he showcased his power with back-to-back stoppage wins, first against Duane Crespo in November 2024 and then with a finish over Ras Hylton this past March.

    Image: @bareknucklefc/Instagram

  • Artem Lobov Takes Aim at BKFC Leader David Feldman Over Ongoing Pay Problems: “He’s never provided me with the real numbers”

    Artem Lobov Takes Aim at BKFC Leader David Feldman Over Ongoing Pay Problems: “He’s never provided me with the real numbers”

    Artem Lobov claims he is owed money by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship but based on some uncertainties with reported pay-per-view numbers, he concedes that the amount he is owed could vary around that. The former UFC combatant spoke about this during a recent interview with Jordan Ellis of Bloody Elbow.

    Lobov is targeting a return to combat sports after over four years on the sidelines when he makes his official PFL debut against long time rival Zubaira Tukhugov at PFL Champions Series 2 on October 3rd. In June 2019, Lobov defeated Paulie Malignaggi at BKFC 6 in what was one of the most influential fights in the nascent days of the company but some confusion regarding the PPV buy rates from that show have ‘The Russian Hammer’ usnure on some financial particulars.

    Artem Lobov unsure of what Feldman is denying, knows BKFC owes him a certain cut of whatevever the cumulative PPV buy rate was

    When asked in a prior interview on The Ariel Helwani Show a few weeks ago, Lobov was asked if a BKFC return was possible and the former Conor McGregor training partner did not totally put the kibosh on it but claimed the gloveless promotion owed him some money.

    Some prior claims positioned BKFC 6 at 200K pay-per-view buys but David Feldman has also disputed that figure at times. During the aforementioned Bloody Elbow interview that he has done in more recent times, Artem Lobov said,

    “I don’t understand what he was denying because he knows he owes me money. He’s saying denying that, oh, it wasn’t 200,000 pay-per-view sold, but this is simply what he announced. You know, he announced and somebody actually pulled up an article there under the tweet of Ariel Helwani and and Feldman talking about this.”

    “Someone pulled up an article where David Feldman announced 200,000 pay-per-views sold. Like, he’s never provided me with the real numbers. So, I can only go off by what he reported to the media, you know, worldwide. So, that’s where I got this number. Now, fair enough. If he’s saying it was around 100,000 pay-per-view sold, okay, no problem. In that case, he owed me about $75,000, you know.”

  • “King of Blood” Mike Perry Has Been Breaking Teeth and Orbitals – BKFC 82 Opponent Jeremy Stephens Ready for Violence

    Mike Perry is a formidable force in the world of gloveless combat which seems to excite Jeremy Stephens far more than it dissuades him. The two bare knuckle combatants took place in a sit down interview with The Mac Life as 1-0 BKFC fighter Oscar Willis acted in the interviewer role.

    The King of Violence title will be on the line as ‘Platinum’ Perry aims to defend the crown against ‘Lil Heathen’ Stephens at BKFC 82 in Newark, New Jersey. The faceoff being done through the media outlet helmed by Conor McGregor makes sense not just because ‘The Notorious’ is a partial owner of BKFC.

    But also that McGregor has apparently indicated to BKFC figurehead David Feldman that he is training to fight the victor of the BKFC 82 headliner. Ahead of their highly anticipated October 4th clash during this sitdown interview with Willis, Stephens said,

    “This guy right here, he’s been doing it. He’s put [expletive] teeth, orbitals through other planets. Scary dude. [Expletive] it. Even in the UFC, animal, rage, you know, he brings lots of pain to people. This is the sport that’s king of blood, violence, and it’s not for everybody. It’s guys like me and him I feel like are cut from the same cloth.”

    Mike Perry, Jeremy Stephens, and featured fighters trade barbs at BKFC 82 press conference

    Mike Perry and Jeremy Stephens took place in a press conference to promote this Fall card with several featured fighters on the card participating, including a former UFC champion making his bare knuckle debut. Former UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar will be battling with Jimmie Rivera as part of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship‘s debut in the state of New Jersey with the two MMA vets having a respectful faceoff.

    The same respect was not extended during the faceoff with the participants in the inaugural Queen of Violence title fight. BKFC flyweight champion Christine Ferea and BKFC featherweight champion Jessica Borga got into a bit of a pseudo-scuffle as Ferea shoved Borga during the faceoff which escalated into a pull apart brawl that saw promotion officials break the two fighters apart.

  • BKFC President Claims Conor McGregor Interested In Winner of Mike Perry vs. Jeremy Stephens

    BKFC President Claims Conor McGregor Interested In Winner of Mike Perry vs. Jeremy Stephens

    Conor McGregor has been doing a lot of talking about the UFC White House card of late, but what if he returned to action outside the UFC?

    This is what was suggested by BKFC President David Feldman during a recent press conference to promote BKFC 82, which will be headlined by a King of Violence title clash featuring Mike Perry and Jeremy Stephens.

    McGregor had no showed the press conference, and Feldman suggested to Perry and Stephens it’s because he’s in training to face whoever wins their fight.

    “We were supposed to have my partner, my friend, Conor McGregor, was going to be here today, but he couldn’t make it last minute because he’s actually very, very focused,” Feldman said. “He’s focused because he said one of you two guys is probably his next fight.”

    Could Conor McGregor Face Mike Perry Or Jeremy Stephens In BKFC?

    McGregor, who became a part-owner of BKFC in April 2024, has previously teased about the idea of having a bout in BKFC, especially if he manages to fight out the two reported fights remaining on his current UFC deal.

    McGregor also has had a couple of spats with Perry since Perry’s loss in the boxing ring to Jake Paul last year.

    Of course, McGregor and Stephens also have a history, with the two having a face-off in January and Stephens being the target of McGregor’s infamous “Who the f*** is that guy?” remarks during a UFC 205 press conference in 2016.

    McGregor has not fought since his UFC 264 loss to Dustin Poirier, but he has recently been one of several fighters who have put their name in the bucket to compete on the UFC White House card in July 2026.

    Perry’s fight with Stephens will be his first in BKFC since defeating Thiago Alves at Knucklemania IV in April 2024.

    Stephens finished Eddie Alvarez at Knucklemania V this past January.

  • Frankie Edgar Coming Out Of Retirement To Make BKFC Debut

    Frankie Edgar Coming Out Of Retirement To Make BKFC Debut

    After about three years away from active combat competition, UFC Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar is set to return on October 4 in a completely different environment.

    Edgar will be moving from the gloves to his bare knuckles, signing with BKFC, per a report from Ariel Helwani.

    Pending an approval from the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, Edgar will reportedly make his BKFC debut on October 4 at BKFC 82, which takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey — Edgar’s home state.

    His opponent will be fellow UFC veteran Jimmie Rivera.

    Frankie Edgar vs. Jimmie Rivera Booked For BKFC 82

    Edgar made his MMA debut in 2005, going on to sign with the UFC in 2007 and having a 15-year career with the promotion, competing in three weight classes and getting inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2024. His last fight came at UFC 281, where he was knocked out by Chris Gutierrez — Edgar’s third consecutive knockout loss.

    Edgar defeated B.J. Penn in upset fashion at UFC 112 to become UFC lightweight champion. He’d retain the title in a rematch against Penn at UFC 118 before retaining in a pair of fights (the latter two in a trilogy) against Gray Maynard in 2011.

    After dropping the title to Benson Henderson and losing a subsequent rematch, Edgar moved down to 145, unsuccessfully challenging for featherweight gold three times (twice undisputed, once interim), losing to Jose Aldo at UFC 156 and UFC 200 and to Max Holloway at UFC 240.

    Edgar moved down to bantamweight in 2020, winning his division debut against Pedro Munhoz before the three-fight losing skid that ended his UFC tenure.

    Rivera, who finished his MMA career 23-5, fought for the UFC between 2015 and 2021, going 7-4 in the promotion. Rivera has not fought in MMA since his last UFC bout — a loss to Munhoz at UFC Vegas 20.

    Rivera signed with BKFC later that year, and he is 2-2-1 in the promotion thus far. Rivera most recently fought at BKFC Fight Night Montana in November, unsuccessfully challenging Kai Stewart for the BKFC featherweight title.

    BKFC 82 will be headlined by Mike Perry defending his King of Violence title against Jeremy Stephens.

  • BKB 45 Return of Paulie Malignaggi To Bare Knuckle Gets Postponed

    BKB 45 Return of Paulie Malignaggi To Bare Knuckle Gets Postponed

    Paulie Malignaggi will still be making his return to the world of bare knuckle boxing, it will just come a few weeks later than first expected. The BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing commentator has a focus on stepping into the Mighty Trigon to compete with former BKFC title challenger Tyler Goodjohn who will be standing across from Malignaggi as his return opponent.

    The initial scheduling of the contest was positioned on September 6th in Bristol, UK but BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing’s Hall of Fame matchmaker Mel Valenzuela has announced that the BKB 45 main event will no longer be Malignaggi vs. Goodjohn.

    Malignaggi sustained a sprained thumb during his preparations for his return to the world of gloveless combat with the IBF junior welterweight and WBA welterweight champion posting a video address to touch upon the highly anticipated bare knuckle boxing bout being moved to later on in the Fall.

    Paulie Malignaggi vs. Tyler Goodjohn, date and location for rescheduled bout

    Paulie Malignaggi is a decorated gloved boxer who did previously fought under the BKFC banner and it will be interesting to see how he approaches his sophomore bare knuckle fight over six years after his debut effort. Malignaggi initially fought Artem Lobov at BKFC 6 in the Summer of 2019 and lost to ‘The Russian Hammer’ on points in what was a massive fight for the promotion during the nascent stages of their growth.

    Conversely, Tyler Goodjohn is a former BKB champion who wrested the strap from bare knuckle legend Sean George. After a BKFC stint that saw him vie for Luis Palomino’s lightweight belt at BKFC 18, ‘El Tornado’ returned to fighting under his prior promotional banner when he earned a win on points over Joseph Smith at BKB 40 in April.

    The Cambridgeshire-based fighter will still get to throw down in front of a partisan crowd though as the bout rescheduling will still Goodjohn get to compete in front of the fervent fight fans in the United Kingdom. The rescheduling also won’t be hugely separated from the initially scheduled date as Malignaggi vs. Goodjohn will now transpire on October 18th at BKB 47 in Leeds at Ice Palace.

  • Mike Perry vs. Jeremy Stephens For King Of Violence Title Booked For BKFC 82

    Mike Perry vs. Jeremy Stephens For King Of Violence Title Booked For BKFC 82

    Two UFC veterans who are all about the violence will clash for BKFC’s King of Violence title when the promotion appears in New Jersey for the first time this fall.

    BKFC President David Feldman announced on The Ariel Helwani Show on August 13 that Mike Perry will defend his King of Violence title against Jeremy Stephens in the main event of BKFC 82 on October 4.

    Feldman additionally told Helwani that while original plans called for Perry to face Darren Till at this event, an agreement was unable to be reached. Robbie Lawler also served as a backup idea, but he’s still under UFC contract control post-retirement.

    Mike Perry vs. Jeremy Stephens Booked For BKFC 82 This October

    This will mark Perry’s first appearance for BKFC since his one-minute finish of Thiago Alves at KnuckleMania IV in April 2014.

    Perry would end up competing in a boxing match with Jake Paul that July, losing by sixth-round TKO. Since that loss, Perry has had public spats with BKFC part-owner Conor McGregor.

    Stephens fought at KnuckleMania V this past January, finishing Eddie Alvarez. He then had a one-off fight in the UFC in May, dropping a decision to Mason Jones in a barnburner at UFC Des Moines.

    BKFC 82 takes place from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

  • How Controversial Figure CM Punk Earned the Respect of a BKFC Edmonton Victor

    How Controversial Figure CM Punk Earned the Respect of a BKFC Edmonton Victor

    CM Punk is a well known WWE star who also does broadcasting work for CFFC with a multi-fight BKFC competitor recently recalling his interaction with the former AEW and WWE champion after fighting on a past card for the New Jersey-based MMA promotion. Adam De Freitas has a history at the 2300 Arena even prior to his March fight in Philly for BKFC with a previous foray into the CFFC cage under his belt at the old ECW Arena.

    De Frietas touched on this subject while he appeared on Bare Knuckle Bowker before eventually securing his first ever bare knuckle win with a first round knockout of Skyler Mauller at BKFC Edmonton on August 9th. When asked if there were interactions that were had with CM Punk while both did their thing for CFFC on that event from a few years ago, De Freitas said,

    “Actually yeah. So I’m trying to remember the name of the guy I fought. He was really good. We had a great fight. I thought I won. It was a split decision for him. He took me down a lot, but he did nothing on the ground. I lit him up, dropped him twice, almost had a submission. Even on the ground, I was hitting him with elbows.”

    “But I have to respect the fact that if he’s on top, even if he’s doing nothing, if he’s on top, in a lot of judges eyes, he’s winning, right? But I lost a split in Philly, which you know, you lose a split to the hometown guy, you can kind of walk away thinking you won that fight. But I went backstage. CM Punk did come up. He did say he thought I won. We probably have about a 5 minute conversation.”

    “I doubt he even remembers it because it was probably 5-6 years ago. But yeah, he honestly he seemed pretty cool. He didn’t act like this giant character or anything like that. He came up and told me, “Yeah, [I] thought [you] won that fight.” and it was kind of just like shooting the s**t with one of the gym bros. He was pretty laidback and seemed like a pretty humble guy. I don’t watch too much wrestling and I don’t know him from his character, but I seem to be a fan, man. I didn’t mind the guy, seemed pretty cool.”

    The Adam De Freitas-CM Punk Interaction at CFFC: “He didn’t have to do that”

    When recalling more of his CM Punk meeting that happened when fighting in CFFC, in a bout that saw the Canadian combatant lose to Ryan Rizco via split decision, De Freitas stated,

    “Yeah, I think he [Rizco] was same team as Eddie Alvarez. Decent boxing, but I was a way better boxer, but it was the wrestling. He kept taking me down and I made the mistake of thinking because I’m throwing up submissions and hitting him with elbows off my back that I didn’t have to stand up. So again another loss and I still think I won but I got to own it, man.”

    “I didn’t try to stand back up, so I lost a split decision to him. But yeah, I met CM Punk backstage he was like yes, a super cool guy you know. Came up and showed respect to the fighters backstage after. He didn’t have to do that, right, so I respect that.”

  • BKFC Edmonton Victor on Lightweight Title Tournament: “Putting 2 Divisions on Hold”

    BKFC Edmonton Victor on Lightweight Title Tournament: “Putting 2 Divisions on Hold”

    BKFC has four hungry fighters ready to vie for the vacant lightweight title in a looming tournament and a fighter outside of that immediate field has some thoughts on matters. Hasan Al-Ghanim is now 4-0 inside of the BKFC ring after his victory over the weekend at BKFC Edmonton and he aims to go 5-0 before 2025 closes out. A lightweight title shot is an express goal for the surging Wolfhouse product someday and Al-Ghanim appeared on Bare Knuckle Bowker ahead of his Zach Pannell fight recently in Enoch at the River Cree.

    Addressing the announcement of the four-man lightweight tournament for the vacated 155 pound championship after they had stripped Franco Tanaglia of the belt, Hasan Al-Ghanim said,

    “Honestly, I thought it was a good idea. Obviously they stripped him [Franco Tenaglia]. Ben Bonner fought for the interim [title] with, who was it? Was it [Tony] Soto?… Yeah, they fought for the interim [title]. It’s fine. The tournament is a good idea, but I think they should have opened it up from four-man to maybe an eight-man tournament.”

    “You know, there’s a lot of people who deserve their respect within the division. One of them being like HD [Howard Davis]. You know, he went five rounds with what’s his name? I forgot his name, f**k… He went five rounds with [Luis] Palomino, right?… He [Howard Davis] lost that fight because of a decision. But I feel like a person like him should have been thrown in there, you know, thrown in that mix.”

    “Then make it a six-man tournament, make it an eight-man tournament, and have potential up and comers like myself join in as well. Just to see if we can keep up, if we are part of the part of the top, you know what I mean? But to me, having the same four guys, one guy coming from ’65, one guy coming from ’45, and both champions coming in, you know, it defeats the purpose.”

    “You know, we’re putting the division on hold. We’re putting two divisions on hold. Obviously Austin Trout vacated his, but we have Kai [Stewart] still the champion of 145. He’s just holding up the division there. You know what I mean? I think they should have made it an eight-man tournament, but hey, I’m not in the seats, you know?”

    BKFC Lightweight Championship scene and where Al-Ghanim fits in

    With big name former as well as current champions in BKFC like Franco Tenaglia, Austin Trout, Luis Palomino, and interim champ Ben Bonner vying to become undisputed champion, it’s all about staying the course for ‘Hungry’.

    As the Iraqi-born combatant fighting out of Alberta was discussing his own route to his crack at the crown down the line while observing the tournament from the outside looking in following his dominant BKFC Edmonton win, Al-Ghanim stated,

    “Yeah, it’s a weird situation, but hey, you know, they decided a four man tournament. The rest of us just got to work our way up until we get a contender shot or a title shot or something like that.”

  • Drew Stuve On Fighting Former Kevin Holland Foe at BKFC Edmonton: “I’m Going to Get The Job Done”

    Drew Stuve On Fighting Former Kevin Holland Foe at BKFC Edmonton: “I’m Going to Get The Job Done”

    Drew Stuve is teetering on the precipice of his biggest career moment as a professional fighter and is as confident as ever that he’ll secure his ideal outcome. Appearing on Bare Knuckle Bowker, Stuve covered multiple topics before his BKFC Edmonton return as he battles Will Santiago on August 9th in the main event showdown.

    The Wolfhouse fighter is returning to the BKFC squared circle after spending around a year away from bare knuckle fighting action with a brief gloved boxing detour late-last year. Michael Manno was slated to be his initial opponent for this card but a withdrawal from double M created this vacancy for Santiago to fill in the Stuve headlining bout.

    When describing his thoughts on the shift in opposition for this weekend, Stuve said,

    “I think it’s a better fight for me, man. He’s definitely a better fighter, he’s more accomplished, and it’s just gonna be a better win for me to have on my record after.”

    Drew Stuve is a small town kid ready to prove himself on a huge stage

    During the interview on BKB, Stuve offered up his thoughts on Santiago’s resume and skillset within bare knuckle which boasts multiple first round finishes with Santiago’s lone loss being to long time ranked BKFC middleweight Dakota Cochrane. Referencing that Santiago has previously fought Kevin Holland on Contender Series as well as Chris Curtis under mixed martial arts rules, Drew Stuve stated,

    “I’ve got a lot of respect to him for taking this fight on short notice. Look, I know I’m not an easy opponent. He’s obviously seen my last fights and watched them and he knows it’s not going to be an easy night. So I respect him for taking the fight and it’s pretty cool. He fought Kevin Holland on the Dana White Contender Series, you know [laughs], it’s pretty crazy to me.”

    “Like I’m a small town kid from Edson, Alberta about to fight a guy who basically fought in the UFC. So it’s pretty huge for me and I’m super confident that I’m going to get the job done… I’m super excited. He’s definitely the most experienced and the biggest name I’ve ever fought to date. I’m just going to continue to prove that I’m right exactly where I belong.”

  • Filipino BKFC Fighter on Salt Papi Beef, Knows “He’ll Beat Tony Ferguson” in Big MFB 22 Bout

    Filipino BKFC Fighter on Salt Papi Beef, Knows “He’ll Beat Tony Ferguson” in Big MFB 22 Bout

    A surging Filipino-Canadian BKFC fighter has engaged in a bit of a back and forth with Salt Papi and also offered his thoughts on the influencer boxer’s next fight against a former interim UFC champion. Chad Lucanas discussed this on Bare Knuckle Bowker ahead of his clash with Tim Tamaki at BKFC Edmonton on August 9th. Later this month, Salt Papi will throw down with Tony Ferguson under Queensberry Rules for the MFB interim middleweight title on August 30th in Manchester.

    Lucanas had previously called out Salt Papi with the influencer boxer eventually blocking the BKFC combatant on Instagram amid their back and forth. When describing his history with the Filipino influencer boxer and also giving his thoughts on the upcoming sweet science showdown with Ferguson, Lucanas said,

    “I thought it was kind of funny, but yeah, I know he’ll beat Tony Ferguson. Like I believe he will because to me like out of all them, out of all those little influencer YouTube f***ers, I think Salt Papi is one of the best like I’ve seen in that league per se. Like to me, he’s entertaining. He’s Filipino. He’s got some skills and I look at it as just like a, you know what, if me and him were to fight, it would be so cool for the culture. Like I feel like it would be such a cool clash because like he’s a Filipino kid that grew up in the UK.”

    “I’m a Filipino kid that grew up in Canada. Also, we’re both southpaws, have nice left hands. He’s not bad. I think the dude is really not bad and outside of boxing, he’s f***in hilarious. But just for me it’s like, I think me and this guy would make such a show if we fought. Like it would be so crazy. It would be so cool for like the whole Filipino culture all around the world. It’d be such a cool clash. But he blocked my ass.”

    Salt Papi did block Chad Lucanas, but the latter quipped “I totally get it”

    When further addressing what he sees as an almost inevitable clash with Salt Papi someday, Lucanas continued,

    “So, I’ll get there though. I’mma get it. No, I’mma get it. Like for me it’s like okay, you block me that, means you know who I am. With a lot of people calling you out on comments, tagging me, tagging you, telling you to fight me, I get it. You looked at my page and was like, I don’t know if I want to f**k with this guy [laughs]. So, I totally get it. But wait till I find you one day in person. I’m calling you out right then and there.”

  • Yoel Romero Set To Make Bareknuckle Boxing Debut At BKFC 80

    Yoel Romero Set To Make Bareknuckle Boxing Debut At BKFC 80

    Yoel Romero now has a date and opponent locked in for his bareknuckle debut.

    Last month, BKFC co-owner Conor McGregor officially welcomed 48-year-old Romero to the promotion’s roster. While now part of BKFC, the former UFC title challenger retains the freedom to compete in MMA and collaborate with other organizations as he pleases.

    Though the “Soldier of God” may be BKFC’s biggest attraction right now, promotion founder David Feldman previously admitted that many fighters backed out once Romero’s arrival was confirmed. But now, he finally has someone willing to step into the squared circle.

    BKFC Chief Reveals Fighters Hesitant to Fight Yoel Romero: 'A Couple Guys Already Turned It Down'

    Yoel Romero To Clash With Fellow Debutant At BKFC 80

    On Tuesday, BKFC officially announced that Yoel Romero will make his bareknuckle boxing debut in a heavyweight showdown against a fellow newcomer at BKFC 80, set for September 12 at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The upcoming card will be headlined by a heavyweight rematch between Leonardo Perdomo and Arnold Adams.

    Romero’s most recent outings came under the unique ruleset of Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing Championship, where he secured stoppage victories over Duane Crespo in November and Ras Hylton this past March. “Soldier of God” parted ways with the UFC after a failed middleweight title bid against Israel Adesanya at UFC 248 in March 2020.

    The former Olympic silver medalist transitioned to Bellator, where he compiled a 3-2 record and earned a shot at the light heavyweight title against Vadim Nemkov. Yoel Romero’s Bellator stint came to a close at the PFL vs. Bellator crossover event in February 2024, where he secured a unanimous decision win over UFC title challenger Thiago Santos.

    Meanwhile, Doukas brings a 2-2 professional MMA record into his BKFC debut, with both of his wins coming via stoppage. His most recent MMA outing took place in April 2024 at Fierce FC 31, where he suffered a second-round submission loss to Cole Shafer. The American also holds a 1-0 record in professional boxing.

    Theo Doukas to fight Yoel Romero at BKFC 80
    Image @kratariasmma/Instagram
  • “Leonardo Perdomo Is a Bad Mother F***ER,” Says BKFC 79 Heavyweight Stalwart

    “Leonardo Perdomo Is a Bad Mother F***ER,” Says BKFC 79 Heavyweight Stalwart

    Leonardo Perdomo continued to impress many with his recent win at BKFC Hollywood, and one of the stalwarts of the promotion’s heavyweight division has offered his thoughts on that recent performance from the man many call the bare knuckle Mike Tyson. Zach Calmus recently did battle himself against Corey Willis at BKFC 79 on August 2nd as the promotion returned to Sturgis, and Calmus covered several subjects during an appearance on Bare Knuckle Bowker.

    Leonardo Perdomo improved to 8-0 recently as a bare knuckle fighter and secured his biggest win yet over former two-time BKFC heavyweight champion Arnold Adams on July 12th at BKFC 78. When offering up his thoughts on that particular fight and how no one has been able to get out of the first round with ‘El Zambo’ in the BKFC squared circle so far, Calmus said,

    “Leonardo Perdomo is a bad mother f***er. Let me tell you something. That’s not a fight that they’re trying to line up for me… He’s going to be champ. Now, I’m going to be champ as well, but the facts are that I’m fighting in a weight division that I shouldn’t be fighting, okay. I don’t have a heavyweight body. I don’t have the size in bare knuckle at heavyweight.”

    Leonardo Perdomo set for Arnold Adams sequel clash in BKFC Hollywood return

    Leonardo Perdomo vaulted toward the number one contender spot with his win over Arnold Adams but some in the bare knuckle community seemed to think that the stoppage from their July bout was a bit on the premature side. The promotion has heard these sentiments from some within the fanbase and has responded by running things back for an immediate rematch.

    Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has announced Perdomo vs. Adams 2 on September 12th at BKFC 80 at Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida. This venue served as the location for their first fight and it will now be the location for the Perdomo vs. Adams sequel.

    Also, this card will feature the BKFC debut of Yoel Romero with many fans curious who will fight ‘The Soldier of God’ in gloveless combat. This speculation comes after promotional figurehead David Feldman hinted at some difficulties with locking in a dance partner for the former multi-division title challenger in both the UFC and Bellator MMA.

  • BKFC 79 Fighter Is a Taylor Starling Fan but Aims to End Her Fighting Career in Sturgis

    BKFC 79 Fighter Is a Taylor Starling Fan but Aims to End Her Fighting Career in Sturgis

    Shelby Cannon is someone who sings the praises of Taylor Starling, and even her own daughter loves ‘Killa Bee’, but that won’t stop ‘Boom Boom’ from aiming to put an end to Starling’s competitive combat career in BKFC’s return to Sturgis. Shelby Cannon will clash with Taylor Starling at BKFC 79: Gogo vs. Lane in a consequential co-main event clash on August 2nd.

    Cannon appeared on Bare Knuckle Bowker and when referencing a prior interview done with Paul Pickett where the context was presented of Taylor Starling doing so many interviews for BKFC on the digital content creation end and it seeming like Cannon was intimating that Starling would be done fighting after their BKFC Sturgis contest.

    When asked if that was the sentiment that was being expressed there or if some things were being misconstrued at all, Cannon stated,

    “No, I think that you’re 100% correct. I was meaning that because again, I think she; if I’m making a speculation, which I will, I’ll make a speculation. So, let you get in my head a little bit is that I don’t think that she had any intentions on fighting anybody else that was going to be higher ranked. I think that because my name came out there, she thought it’d be an easy win and it would get her back on the charts and it would give her another W, which is great.”

    “Then from there, she was going to be able to fight somebody she’s already fought. Being in the game, we know that it’s always easier to fight somebody the second time than it is the first time. Britain Hart is a huge contender and I just feel like naturally somebody’s going to look for the easiest way to get to the top where I was not. I mean, I’m willing to fight anybody and everybody because I’ll tell you, I mean, me and my coach, we talked about Sturgis and we talked about Taylor Starling.”

    “I mean, I met Taylor Starling in Utah when I did my my debut. I mean, I’m a Taylor Starling fan to be completely honest with you. I mean, I’ve been watching Taylor Starling for a long, long time. I’ve seen where she was at when she first came into BKFC and I’ve seen where she’s at right now. I think she had way more intensity and she had way more grit at the beginning of her career. I’ve seen her do these promotions and, you know, being there with the the mic and interviewing. I mean, that’s her bread and butter.”

    “She’s so natural with people. Like she talks about being like a showman and that’s great, but like being a showman and being a professional bare knuckle fighter is not the same thing. Yeah, maybe they go hand in hand when you’re trying to make money, but I mean at the end of the day, I’m not a showman. I’m a bare knucklefighter. I mean, that’s what I go in there and I do is I win fights. I train every single day, every single week. I’m coming here because there’s just a lot that needs to be done.”

    https://twitter.com/bareknucklefc/status/1912880810132152568/video/1

    In BKFC, “you’re either a dog or you’re not” says Cannon

    As she continued to give her overview of this BKFC matchup in the context of some of the differences she sees between herself and Starling in the world of bare knuckle, Cannon continued,

    “I think that keeping the people in the sport that want to stay in the sport and not have all these other ideas of, I mean I don’t know what her ideas are, but I’ve seen a lot of interviews with her. She wants to open a freaking coffee shop. She wants to do interviews with fighters. I mean she’s got all these other plans and like she’s got all these plans after she’s a fighter. I’ve had many people ask me when are you going to stop fighting, Shelby?”

    “Well, I’m going to fight for as long as I can fight because mentally, emotionally, physically, all these things, it’s good for me. Why would I have a date already set on when I’m going to, oh, I’m going to stop fighting when I decide I want to open up a nail salon. Well, no, I’ve already opened up a nail salon. Thank you very much. Oh, I’m going to stop fighting when I decide that I want to go to church. No, I’m sorry. I already do that. Oh, I’m going to stop fighting when I decide I have all these other plans.”

    “No, that’s just not the way it works [laughs]. It’s just not. So, I see her being a really good interviewer and I think she’s at the the end of her career. But all props to her, though, I think she’s just a great person and I think she’s a good role model. My daughter really looks up to Taylor Starling. She loves Taylor Starling. I think she’s a beautiful person like inside and out. But at the end of the day though, the women, we’re growing. But you’re either a dog or you’re not.”

    “You’re staying in or you’re not. I mean, she can say that I’m talking crap. I don’t know. I don’t know if that’s what this is. But at the end of the day, she’s going to have to really fight me a lot differently than she’s ever fought anybody else to get her win.”

  • Former BKB Title Challenger Feels “Good About Being a [BKFC] Title Contender” With a Big BKFC 79 Win

    Former BKB Title Challenger Feels “Good About Being a [BKFC] Title Contender” With a Big BKFC 79 Win

    Shelby Cannon is no stranger to vying for bare knuckle gold and could find herself in another one of those opportunities with a strong showing this weekend. Cannon will clash with Taylor Starling at BKFC 79: Gogo vs. Lane in the co-main event on August 2nd and ‘Boom Boom’ Cannon appeared on Bare Knuckle Bowker to cover several subjects leading into this high stakes fight.

    Sarah Shell is the only contender ranked above the number two ranked strawweight Starling right now. Presuming they do Britain Hart vs. Shell next for the strawweight belt, when asked if BKFC has communicated to her that the winner of this fight could be vying for the title after that, Cannon said,

    “Not specifically. I mean, they obviously are making me feel good about being a title contender. Depending on the outcome of the fight, which makes sense, of course. I mean, she’s ranked number two, so yeah, I beat her [a title shot could come]. However, they make it very clear that it depends on on how the fight goes. You know, they’re looking for certain things as far as I think how they’re going to match people up. Like we said before, style versus style. Aggression is important, you know, having a purpose in what we’re doing here.”

    Shelby Cannon has less BKFC experience but touts higher world ranking than Starling

    As she further expounded upon this thought while referencing her multiple bare knuckle bouts on the BKB circuit prior to this sophomore BKFC outing in the coming days, Cannon continued,

    “I think they’re also looking for people who are interested in staying in this sport and helping grow BKFC. Although there are people, kind of touching on something you had said about people like people looking into the sport not knowing what kind of experience that I’m bringing to the table, I agree with that. But one thing I’m real grateful for is that the promotion of BKFC itself and the people that are behind the scenes, they haven’t overlooked me and they haven’t taken me for granted.”

    “They’ve done their homework, they’ve done their research, and they understand that me and Taylor is a good fight. So, even though I’m not ranked in the division, I am ranked in the world and I am ranked high in the world. Technically, I’m ranked higher than [Taylor] Starling. So I am 100% grateful to them. I think that they are also looking to grow women in this sport. I think they’re giving us a huge opportunity in being the co-main. There’s just there’s a lot going on and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

  • Bare Knuckle Given Clear “No” by Fighter With Masvidal and Lawler Wins

    Bare Knuckle is seemingly a fairly booming permutation of pugilism with many combatants keen to get involved but an ex-UFC veteran is not looking to drop the gloves himself. Lorenz Larkin has fought for some of the biggest MMA leagues on the planet and has a certain eagerness to try out some other combat sports.

    The former veteran of circuits like UFC, Bellator MMA, and Strikeforce recently made a successful debut in Karate Combat for instance as Larkin secured a decision win over Buddy Wallace at Karate Combat 56 on July 19th. While ‘The Monsoon’ seems intrigued in exploring some independent contractor opportunities as a combat athlete, Larkin does not seem destined for BKFC or BKB at any point in time.

    Lorenz Larkin discussed this during a recent interview with MMA Junkie Radio as Larkin said,

    “Nah, man. … If a fighter gets into a fight in the street, it’s gonna be quick. The fight’s gonna be over, done deal, because the other guy doesn’t know anything. They have bare hands, that fighter is probably going to punch him two times, if that, and it’s gonna be over. But, you get two guys having a training camp that are going to go in and fight each other, with bare knuckles? No. I’m good off that.”

    While he is out on bare knuckle, it seems like gloved boxing is enticing as Larkin discussed his hopes to arrange a deal with Misfits Boxing. It also turns out we may see more of Lorenz Larkin in the Karate Combat pit as he spoke highly of the organization structuring a deal with him that allows him to compete in other combat sports.

    Some of Larkin’s past opponents who have fought in Bare Knuckle

    Bare Knuckle and the prevalance of cuts within it seemed to dissuade Larkin but many of his past opponents have given gloveless combat a whirl. Just to name a few examples, Fernando Gonzalez, who Larkin bested at Bellator 193 via unanimous decision, has dropped the gloves a pair of times under the BKFC banner. Gonzalez has a .500 record so far across two outings in 2024 with an attempted booking for January of this year against tenured BKFC combatant Erick Lozano falling out.

    Chris Camozzi lost to Larkin on points in their November 2013 UFC fight and nowadays, Camozzi has ascended to the status of reigning BKFC cruiserweight champion after his first bid for cruiserweight gold against Lorenzo Hutn falling short at BKFC 50. Larkin lost to Derek Brunson at UFC 177 and while the debut hasn’t happened yet, Brunson signed with BKFC and this was announced at the company’s Champions Summitt press event. John Howard was also a past Larkin opponent who tried out bare knuckle, losing his BKFC debut effort in June.

  • Former BKFC Fighter on Conor McGregor: “Really Hard to Draw Any Other Conclusions Than What the Jury Did”

    Former BKFC Fighter on Conor McGregor: “Really Hard to Draw Any Other Conclusions Than What the Jury Did”

    Conor McGregor is in ongoing appeal processes after a civil jury found last November that he assaulted Nikita Hand in a reported incident from December 2018 and a former BKFC combatant touched on the situation in a bit of a cursory way. Appearing on Bowks Talking Bouts, Ben Davis discussed some of his commentary opportunities in the combat sports world through promotions like Misfits Boxing but Davis has also competed in spaces like the Karate Combat pit and the BKFC’s squared circle.

    Conor McGregor

    ‘The Bane’ did not emerge victorious in his bare knuckle debut but he did get his hand raised by Conor McGregor at BKFC Spain after Davis’ clash with fellow media member Oscar Willis and the photo from that moment is a bit of a conflicting one at this juncture. When touching upon that McGregor photo at BKFC Spain and how some of the Irishman’s surrounding legal controversies that the former two division UFC champion has found himself in (with an ongoing civil sexual assault lawsuit happening in Florida against him from a June 2023 Miami incident) have informed the feelings about that photograph, Davis said,

    “There’s few photos in my camera roll that have aged as poorly as that one [laughs]. Yeah, it’s an unfortunate conflation of combat sports and behaviour like that. He’s embroiled in some really serious, problematic times right now. Listen, if you look at all of the evidence provided, it’s really hard to draw any other conclusions than what the jury did. So I don’t know. I wish that we had more GSPs and Demetrious Johnsons and maybe Robbie Lawlers, right.”

    Conor McGregor, GSP, and the role model quandary of combat sports

    As he expounded upon what he meant by wanting more fighters in the sport like Georges St. Pierre or ‘Mighty Mouse’, Davis stated,

    “Just good ambassadors of the sport, great people that can carry mixed martial arts into the mainstream with more positive lights and not figures that create as much controversy as they do pay-per-view sales. I just think that long term it’s in the best interest of the sport. But again, I’m talking about a sport with probably the stupidest f***** demographic of fans on earth [laughs]. Maybe I’m asking too much, Dylan. Maybe I’m asking too much.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9Y4h0hDPhY

  • BKB Champ and BKFC 1 Vet on Big Alberto Blas Departure

    BKB Champ and BKFC 1 Vet on Big Alberto Blas Departure

    Alberto Blas signing with BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing while still the reigning BKFC bantamweight champion sent a ripple effect through the world of gloveless combat with two prolific pugilists in the space offering up their thoughts on the undefeated Cuban combatant defecting to the rival promotion in the space.

    Both of these standout bare-knuckle combatants appeared on separate episodes of Bare Knuckle Bowker and offered up their thoughts on Blas with Harry Gigiliotti and Travis ‘The Animal’ Thompson weighing in on this Blas situation. When the BKB super lightweight Police Gazette Diamond champion was asked about Blas defecting to BKB while he was still the reigning bantamweight champion in BKFC, Gigliotti said,

    “Huge, yeah. Absolutely huge. I mean he was the 135, what, BKFC champ recently. But now he’s coming over here and he’s kind of gonna make his mark here. We’ll see, maybe I’ll go to 135 and try to take a pickin’ at that too at some point. So a lot of people asked me at the end of the fight [at BKB 43] like what do I want to do from here?”

    “I said I could go to welterweight, I could fight Carlos Guerra. Or I could go down to lightweight and I could fight [Julio] Tanori, Jarod Grant or even Alberto Blas. So there’s a lot of interesting things that are happening as the sport kind of grows.”

    BKFC 1 Vet offers up his thoughts on the Alberto Blas situation

    It recently passed the seven-year mark in early June since Thompson’s BKFC 1 fight with eventual BKFC bantamweight champion Reggie Barnett Jr. Thompson has also gone on to fight eventual interim and lineal bantamweight champions throughout BKFC history like Jarod Grant and Dat Nguyen, respectively. When offering up his thoughts on the news of the Alberto Blas departure and the BKFC bantamweight belt now being vacant, Travis Thompson stated,

    “Yeah, I mean it was crazy. I really wanted the chance to fight [Alberto] Blas because no one has alsted a roudn with him. You’re not going to put me out in a round, I don’t give a s**t about who you are. He has nothing I haven’t seen before and honestly I really wanted that fight. But he left and good luck to him. Do what you want to do but I’m BKFC through and through, one hundred percent. I’ll be coming for that title.”

  • BKB Champ on Paulie Malignaggi BKB 45 Return: “He’s Looking to Grab a Bare Knuckle World Title”

    Paulie Malignaggi will be returning to the world of gloveless combat after several years out of the bare knuckle game and one of the sport’s top fighters pound for pound today has weighed in on this. During a recent chat on Bare Knuckle Bowker, Harry Gigliotti touched on several subjects in the aftermath of defending his BKB super lightweight Police Gazette title against Kallum Skhane BKB 43: Bolton Brawl on July 5th.

    Also through the pugilistic proceedings of that recent BKB event, Paulie Malignaggi has expressly mapped out a return to bare knuckle boxing to face Tyler Goodjohn for his second bare knuckle bout overall and Malignaggi’s first foray into the BKB Mighty Trigon. Malignaggi had previously fallen short on points to Artem Lobov at BKFC 6 in a key fight that ignited a lot of North American interest in bare knuckle when the two battled in June 2019.

    In regards to the announcement of ‘Magic Man’ returning to the ring at BKB 45 on September 6th to fight Goodjohn, Gigliotti said,

    “He’s a legend in the game, you know what I mean? So it’s pretty cool. It’s pretty cool to see Paulie Malignaggi back in the ring in general but let alone in my world of bare-knuckle and stuff like that. Paulie is someone that I’ve looked up to and I knew in the game. I actually had fights out here in this area over at the Hampton Beach Casino where I’m thirty five minutes of a drive from. So it’s like Paulie’s keeping the sport alive. Well not alive, but growing it out, you know what I mean, and building it up.”

    Paulie Malignaggi’s bare knuckle return touched on by BKB champion

    As he kept expounding upon his thoughts in this context, Gigliotti continued, “So it’s one of those things that you get a big name like that in the game and more eyes start to look. More people want to tune in and stuff like that. So I appreciate Paulie for coming back and doing this for the fighters and stuff. Obviously he wants to get a world title he said. I don’t know if you’ve heard some of his interviews but he’s looking to grab a bare knuckle world title which in that weight class that would be I believe Liam’ Rocky’ Rees. That would be a fight down the line to make.”

  • Former BKFC Fighter Stabbed Yoel Romero In 2022 Incident, Acquitted Of Attempted Murder

    Former BKFC Fighter Stabbed Yoel Romero In 2022 Incident, Acquitted Of Attempted Murder

    The BKFC made major signings last week, one of whom was former UFC and Bellator title challenger Yoel Romero. Romero has been seen as a welcome edition to the roster, with hope he will fit in well with the bare-knuckle style.

    What may have gone under the radar, however, is that Romero had a run in with a man who is no longer on the BKFC roster as of last month — and that incident could have had a bad ending for Romero.

    Last week, the YouTube account Ragdoll MMA released a video taking a look into former BKFC bantamweight champion Alberto Blas’ release from the promotion, which occurred on June 26.

    In a statement BKFC President David Feldman announced that “a pattern of unprofessional behavior outside of competition” led the promotion to strip Blas of the bantamweight title and release him.

    “There were multiple infractions that went into this decision,” the statement read. “We wish him well in his future endeavors.”

    Former BKFC Champion Alberto Blas Acquitted Of Second-Degree Murder After Stabbing Recent BKFC Signee Yoel Romero

    While not directly mentioned by BKFC, one of the incidents in question involved a confrontation with Romero that saw him stab the “The Soldier of God” with a samurai sword in January 2022.

    As explained by an anonymous source in the video, Blas and Romero had gotten into a verbal confrontation at the American Top Team gym. In the parking lot, Blas attempted to strike Romero with his car before retrieving a samurai sword from his trunk. He used the sword to reportedly strike Romero in the arms and hands.

    Blas was charged in Florida on one count of second-degree attempted murder and one count of battery. Blas, however, was found not guilty on both charges. While the charges were dropped in 2024, a stay-away order of protection one month after the incident ordered Blas not to be in contact with the victim — whose named is listed on the document as Romero.

    Interestingly, as the video mentions, this press release from BKFC announcing Blas’ release came out hours after rival promotion Bare-Knuckle Boxing announced they had signed Blas to a multi-fight deal.

    BKB President Mike Vasquez recently told MMA News that he questions the nature of Feldman’s press release, since it did not come out until after BKB signed Blas. He furthermore claimed that several former BKFC fighters have messaged him, claiming the promotion did not pay fighters on time.

    Blas put out his own statement, claiming “While my record is not spotless, I stand by my reputation and wish to call this out for what it is: an insecure individual trying to save face while the company he built and subsequently sold off continues to spiral downward.”

  • BKFC Announcer Gives Intel on BKFC Philly’s KnuckleMania Producing “Largest [Philly] Combat Sports Crowd” In Over 70 Years

    BKFC has always had it’s home operations based in Philadelphia but relatively recently getting the green light to throw bare-knuckle cards in that city in 2025 has produced some incredible results for the company with their BKFC Philly series so far. Appearing on Bowks Talking Bouts, BKFC commentator Sean Wheelock covered several subjects with a particular focus on the multi-event run that Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has had in the Pennsylvania city.

    BKFC KnuckleMania 5 broke an attendance record in the city for indoor Philadelphia fight cards and is the largest fight crowd that city had seen in over half a century. In September of 1952, Rocky Marciano and Jersey Joe Walcott had their first fight at Municipal Stadium which has held the Philly attendance record for a combat sports event since that date with over 40,000 live and in-person. The fifth instalment of BKFC’s tentpole event which featured a headlining attraction of Eddie Alvarez clashing with Jeremy Stephens produced a sold out BKFC Philly crowd where just shy of 18,000 fans were live in attendance at the Wells Fargo Center for the night of gloveless combat.

    When discussing BKFC Philly with the Wells Fargo effort as well as the focus on the 2300 Arena aka the old ECW arena where the promotion returns on July 25th, Wheelock said,

    “So it took a change in leadership. Greg Sirb who, my wife is English and there’s a great English expression, she would say he’s been there since the year dot. Which means he’s been there a very long time, right. Greg Sirb had been there from the year dot. Greg Sirb was not a fan of bare knuckle. Although interestingly he showed up even though he’s retired at BKFC KnuckleMania 5 [laughs] in Philadelphia. But I would not know his motivations for that. He seemed like he enjoyed himself. Greg Sirb was a person who was adamant in keeping bare knuckle out of his state of Philadelphia when he ran the commission, he retired, he was successful in doing so.”

    “Fantastic guy named Ed Kunkle, one of the best regulators in the country who used to be a deputy in New York, took over that job and now it happened. That’s really how it works in regulatory world. You have to have someone in a high position being the executive director, chairman of the commission, leuiteneant governor of your state, governor of the state to want it and if there’s someone who doesn’t want it, it’s probably not going to happen. So in Greg Sirb, you had someone who did not want bare knuckle and in Ed Kunkle you had someone who did and Ed Kunkle has been great.”

    BKFC Philly’s massive entrance into the market in 2025

    Further delving into the historical significance of the massive BKFC Philly effort in January, Wheelock continued, “I was happy we were able to reward that state and that athletic commission with 17,800 paying customers on the Pennsylvania debut for bare knuckle back in January in Philadelphia. As you said yeah, it was the largest combat sports crowd [in Philadelphia] since Jersey Joe Walcott-Rocky Marciano, 1951… Which is unbelievable to me. Bigger than the UFCs that have been there, bigger than the Joe Frazier fights, but we did.”

    “It was legitimate, there was not papering of that house, there weren’t comped tickets… So many celebrities, so many important people in state government, so many people who needed that access to be right in the front row. It was a really incredible night. We’ve had some pretty special, amazing nights in BKFC. But right now through I believe 126 shows, that for me is number one.”

  • Mike Perry Gets Brutally Honest and Mad About Influencer Fighters ‘Make any video you want on the internet’

    Mike Perry Gets Brutally Honest and Mad About Influencer Fighters ‘Make any video you want on the internet’

    BKFC sensation Mike Perry has given his thoughts on influencer fighters as he continues to serve as the face of bare-knuckle boxing.

    As we know, Mike Perry is a pretty unique character within the realm of combat sports. That was certainly true during his time in mixed martial arts, but since heading over to BKFC, he’s taken his game to a whole new level. His star power has gone through the roof and when you look at all the fighters who have departed the UFC in recent years, there aren’t many who can say they’ve been as successful as ‘Platinum’.

    Right now, Mike Perry is preparing to make his return to BKFC with all eyes on him to see what kind of path he’ll carve out for himself in the months ahead. In a recent interview, though, he took the time to focus on a topic that frustrates him: influencer fighters.

    Mike Perry lashes out at influencer fighters

    “You got 5,000 followers, bro. Can’t [expletive] call me out, bro. Make any video you want on the internet, say what you want, but if I—I hate that it gets me mad at all ever, because I’m in a different [expletive] stratosphere.”

    Perry was worked unbelievably hard to get to this point in his career and hopefully, we exclusively see him take part in high profile bouts from now on – or, at the very least, see him get the kind of paydays that he deserves.

    In short, give him fun fights please, BKFC.

  • BKFC Chief Reveals Fighters Hesitant to Fight Yoel Romero: ‘A Couple Guys Already Turned It Down’

    BKFC Chief Reveals Fighters Hesitant to Fight Yoel Romero: ‘A Couple Guys Already Turned It Down’

    Apparently nobody wants a piece of Yoel Romero.

    After establishing himself as one of MMA’s premier knockout kings, ‘Soldier of God’ is ready to kickstart a new chapter in his combat sports career, signing with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

    BKFC co-owner Conor McGregor announced Romero’s signing, along with three other ex-UFC stars, including Thiago Santos, Aspen Ladd, and Derek Brunson, during a Champions Summit press event in Hollywood, Florida.

    It was an exciting bit of news from the BKFC, though it sounds like the promotion will have its work cut out for it in regards to finding an opponent for the former UFC and Bellator title challenger.

    “We have a couple of guys who already turned it down, and then we just had one guy that said he would take it,” BKFC founder Dave Feldman told MMA Junkie. “We don’t know if that fight is going to happen, but I’m very excited about it – especially because he’s going to make his debut Sept. 12 here at the Hard Rock. So in Miami, where he’s from.

    “And to see Yoel Romero with the gloves off, I mean, that’s a dangerous thing.”

    Yoel Romero Ready to Add Bare-Knuckle Boxing to His Resume

    Feldman didn’t divulge any other details regarding the who, but we now know that Romero will toe the line for the very first time in September, assuming everything goes according to plan.

    Romero is 16-7 in his mixed martial arts career with 13 of his wins coming by way of KO/TKO. Following a seven-year run in the UFC, the Cuban bruiser put his skills to work under the Bellator banner, earning wins over Alex Polizzi, Melvin Manhoef, and Thiago Santos. Since then, the ‘Soldier of God’ has competed twice for Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing Championship, landing highlight-reel knockouts against Duane Crespo and Ras Hylton.

    His BKFC debut will be Romero’s first foray into the world of bare-knuckle boxing.