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  • Ex-WWE Star Gzim Selmani Predicts BKFC Will Be Bigger Than UFC and WWE

    Ex-WWE Star Gzim Selmani Predicts BKFC Will Be Bigger Than UFC and WWE

    Gzim Selmani — the former WWE tag team champion known as Rezar of the Authors of Pain recently made a thunderous BKFC debut in Newcastle, England, finishing Daniel Curtain in the second round and delivering a post-fight promo that host Ariel Helwani called “front-runner for promo of the year.”

    The Albanian-Dutch heavyweight sat down with Helwani on The Ariel Helwani Show to break down what drew him to bare knuckle, the psychological side of competing, and why he believes BKFC is on a trajectory that could eventually rival the UFC itself.

    “I’m here to knock people out anywhere in the world. Come get it. I’m done with everybody. Give it. Get it. I’m the Albanian psycho. I’m the one who came from WWE to this place. I have fought my ass off and I’m here. Thank you to David Feldman. Thank you to Conor McGregor. I’m here to stay — whether you like it or not. The Albanian psycho has arrived at BKFC.”

    Why Bare Knuckle — Not MMA, Not Boxing

    Selmani was deliberate in his choice of BKFC over other combat sports options. When asked why he gravitated toward the most extreme end of the spectrum, his answer was characteristically direct.

    “It’s the next level of violence, and it’s the most extreme option out there. It’s perfectly for me. As my nickname says it — it’s the perfect place for a psychopath.”

    He also described the visceral satisfaction of returning to real fighting after years in the scripted world of professional wrestling.

    “It was so good to be in there again. Just the feeling of putting your knuckles against somebody’s face and just punching as hard as you can and as fast as you can and trying to hurt somebody as much as you can — it’s something you can’t compare with wrestling. It’s something that I needed.”

    The Switch He Can’t Control

    Selmani offered a candid look at the psychological transformation he goes through before fights — something he traces back to his very first pro bout at 18 years old in Romania, fighting a 38-year-old Siberian opponent.

    “My first pro fight was in Romania. I had just turned 18 years old and I fought a 38-year-old guy — a Siberian Romanian guy. I just flipped 20 minutes before the fight, and my coach said, ‘You just look like a psychopath.’ I went in there, fought my ass off, won — and that’s when he gave me the nickname.”

    That transformation, he says, is entirely involuntary.

    “I have no control over it. I just become a different person. As soon as I know it’s victory or death, I flip that switch automatically and become completely someone else. It’s something that comes out when it needs to come out — and that’s during fights.”

    ‘Bigger Than UFC and WWE’

    Perhaps his boldest statement of the interview was his prediction for BKFC’s future — a prediction he made after seeing the Newcastle show firsthand from backstage and inside the ring.

    “I think this company is going to be as big or bigger than UFC and even WWE, to be honest. The excitement that the fans get from a show like this, the adrenaline rush — it’s unmatched by any other organization in the world. I’ve been around almost every organization. I see the potential now in BKFC and I know it’s going to go globally big.”

    He backed up the prediction with a scouting report on the competition level:

    “They’re high level, man. Especially watching them warm up and watching the fights — these guys are as real as it gets. The quality of fighting is very high here. Especially without the gloves, it’s a different ball game.”

    Conor McGregor is an investor and partner in BKFC, and Selmani credited him alongside president David Feldman by name in his post-fight promo. The combination of McGregor’s star power and BKFC’s raw product is, in Selmani’s view, a formula that has nowhere to go but up.

  • Frankie Edgar Out Of Scheduled BKFC Debut

    Frankie Edgar Out Of Scheduled BKFC Debut

    Frankie Edgar’s return to combat sports action following his UFC retirement will not be going down after all this weekend in BKFC.

    Per a report from NJ.com’s Kevin Armstrong, Edgar will no longer be competing on the BKFC 82 card against fellow New Jersey native Jimmie Rivera.

    The reason for Edgar’s removal is currently unknown. BKFC President David Feldman told Ariel Helwani on October 1 that there was a potential medical issue for Edgar that left his status unknown.

    When the news of Edgar’s BKFC debut first came to light, many in the combat community expressed concern over the well-being of Edgar. Edgar, who will turn 44 in a couple of weeks, has not been in action since UFC 281 in November 2022.

    Frankie Edgar Removed From BKFC Debut Days Before BKFC 82

    Armstrong reports that in order to cleared for the BKFC event, Edgar had to undergo an echocardiogram, stress test, and eye examination, as well as a bloodwork panel, EKG, and MRI.

    Armstrong added that Edgar’s family and friends have asked him not to return to action but Edgar reportedly felt the BKFC environment was safer because of the punching-only focus.

    The UFC Hall of Famer lost five of his last six fights in the UFC, occuring between 2019 and 2022.

    Rivera, a fellow UFC veteran, will remain on the card, taking on Timmy Mason.

    BKFC 82 will take place on October 4 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It is the first bare-knuckle event to take place in the Garden State.

  • What Makes Yoel Romero So Special? UFC All-Time Great Breaks Down His BKFC 80 Knockout

    What Makes Yoel Romero So Special? UFC All-Time Great Breaks Down His BKFC 80 Knockout

    Yoel Romero is truly something special.

    After making his mark in the world’s biggest mixed martial arts promotions—Strikeforce, the UFC, Bellator, and PFL—Romero has made the move to boxing where, despite being 48-years-old, he continues to dominate the competition. After scoring a pair of highlight-reel finishes under the Dirty Boxing Championship banner, ‘Soldier of God’ made his bare-knuckle debut earlier this month and did it yet again, finishing Theo Doukas via a vicious second-round KO.

    Looking back on the Cuban’s impressive performance at BKFC 80, former UFC and ONE world champion Demetrious Johnson commended Romero’s ability to take control of every environment he steps into, whether it be a ring, a cage, or an Octagon.

    “The movement, the constant rhythm change, the constant in and out rhythm, high guard, dropping in the right hand or straight shots down the middle of that guy’s guard was pretty much the story of the fight,” Johnson said via his YouTube channel. “All right, here we go. By that rhythm in the B. Boom. Right here. Boom. Right down the middle. Right down the middle. Look at his—look at his face. Look, man. Look at the blood just drop right here. Look at this. Then whack. Like, he’s just able to dictate what the guy’s going to do and move a certain way and be able to land those shots. My goodness.”

    “I think the biggest thing is Yoel’s movement, him putting things down the middle of the pipe on his opponent and then constantly just being active. Being absolutely active.”

    What’s next for Romero remains to be seen, but after his impressive showing in Hollywood, Florida, the ‘Soldier of God’ could already be queued up for a shot at the BKFC heavyweight crown.

  • BKFC President Guarantees Conor McGregor Will Compete in Bare Knuckle

    BKFC President Guarantees Conor McGregor Will Compete in Bare Knuckle

    BKFC president David Feldman is confident that Conor McGregor will step inside the squared circle before long.

    In April 2024, McGregor announced that he’d officially become part-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, a fast-rising promotion featuring a slew of former UFC stars, including ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry, Luke Rockhold, Eddie Alvarez, Paige VanZant, and Yoel Romero. Almost immediately, speculation ran rampant as to whether or not ‘Mystic Mac’ would ever toe the line in BKFC despite still being firmly under contract with the UFC.

    With McGregor seemingly confirming to the world that he will compete on the UFC’s highly anticipated card at the White House in 2026, people are now once again wondering if the former champ-champ will ever trade in his 4oz gloves for a pair of hand wraps.

    “I think it depends on the outcome of the White House card, right?” Feldman told MMA Fighting of McGregor’s potential move from MMA to bare-knuckle. “If he wins the White House card, which I have every reason to believe no matter who he fights, he’s going to win because they’re going to match him… If he wins and looks good, he’s going to fight another fight.

    “And if that happens, then I would bet 100% he’ll fight for BKFC. Why wouldn’t he? What will he do for the valuation of the company? He’ll double or triple it, and then he just doubled or tripled his interest in this. That’s way more than he’s going to get fighting anywhere else.”

    Conor McGregor Claims He Will Fight Michael Chandler at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

    No official announcements have been made regarding who will compete in the nation’s capital next year, but McGregor seems confident that the event will host a long-awaited clash between himself and former Bellator champion ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler.

    The two were rumored to fight in December 2023 following their stint as opposing coaches on TUF 31 before the bout was officially booked for UFC 303. Unfortunately, the contest was scrapped after McGregor broke his pinky toe whilst training.

    Since then, it’s been a tumultous year for the Irish megastar. In late 2024, McGregor was found guilty of sexual assault, resulting in him losing millions of dollars in sponsorship deals. Then there was his failed bid at the Irish presidency.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.”

  • 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 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.

  • Yoel Romero, Three Other UFC & PFL Alumni Sign With BKFC

    Yoel Romero, Three Other UFC & PFL Alumni Sign With BKFC

    Four former UFC fighters, including a trio of former UFC title challengers, are going from the MMA world to the world of bare-knuckle fighting.

    During the BKFC Champions Summit press conference with Conor McGregor, held at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas ahead of BKFC 48, McGregor announced the additions of Yoel Romero, Thiago Santos, Derek Brunson, and Aspen Ladd to the BKFC roster.

    Romero and Santos were the particular focuses of the announcement — highlighting their striking power and their veteran statuses.

    BKFC Announces Four Signings, Including Yoel Romero And Thiago Santos

    Romero and Santos, in fact, faced off in MMA just a year-and-a-half ago. The two faced off during the PFL vs. Bellator broadcast, with Romero, who was representing Bellator, winning via a clear unanimous decision.

    Romero has not fought in MMA since the win, while Santos had one more fight, a short-notice loss to eventual 2024 PFL heavyweight champion Denis Goltsov during the regular season.

    Romero — a freestyle wrestling silver medalist at the 2000 Olympics and a former freestyle wrestling World and Pan-American champion — went 16-7 in professional MMA, including a 9-4 UFC record. Romero scored victories over the likes of Lyoto Machida, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, and Chris Weidman, but was unsuccessful in middleweight title challenges of Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya.

    Romero then had a five-fight stint in Bellator, going 3-2 — which included the win over Santos and an unsuccessful title shot against then-Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov.

    Santos fought in the UFC for about a decade, but his biggest stretch came when he jumped from middleweight to light heavyweight. Santos would finish Eryk Anders, Jimi Manuwa, and Jan Blachowicz, receiving a title shot against then-champ Jon Jones at UFC 239. Santos would lose in a controversial decision. That would be the start of a downward stretch Santos never recovered from, losing all but one of his fights since the Jones loss.

    After his tenure with the UFC, Santos fought in the PFL, debuting with a loss to Rob Wilkinson — a bout that would be overturned to a no contest.

    Brunson came into the UFC as Strikeforce was being merged with the promotion and slowly being folded. Brunson earned victories over the likes of Lorenz Larkin, Uriah Hall, Lyoto Machida, and Kevin Holland, as well as losses to Souza, Whittaker, Adesanya, Anderson Silva, Jared Cannonier, and Dricus Du Plessis. Brunson fought in MMA once after his UFC days — a win over Ray Cooper III at the 2023 PFL World Championships.

    Ladd debuted in Invicta in 2015 and went unbeaten in five fights before joining the UFC two years later. Ladd won her first three UFC bouts before a loss to Germaine de Randamie. Ladd would struggle with consistent success — and had a near-two-year period of inactivity at one point — before parting ways with the UFC after a 2022 loss to Raquel Pennington.

    Ladd debuted in PFL in November of that year with a win over former Bellator champion Julia Budd. She then competed in the 2023 women’s featherweight season, losing to Olena Kolesnyk but defeating Karolina Sobek. Ladd missed the playoffs but fought in a showcase bout later that year, losing to current UFC women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison.

    Ladd’s last MMA fight came at the Bellator Champions Series event in Paris in May 2024, defeating Ekaterina Shakalova.

  • Donald Sanchez on the Variables of Pressure and Altitude in Hometown BKFC Title Bid

    Donald Sanchez on the Variables of Pressure and Altitude in Hometown BKFC Title Bid

    Donald Sanchez is back in his home town ready to sell the joint out as he collides with the number one pound for pound ranked BKFC fighter. Sanchez will look to unseat David Mundell from his middleweight championship throne in the headliner of BKFC 75 on June 6th. When the title challenger was asked on Bare Knuckle Bowker about how much it adds to the fight being on home soil, Sanchez said

    “It’s actually pretty stressful fighting in your hometown. People don’t realize that and Dave [Feldman] keeps saying that I only want to fight here. I fight wherever BKFC sends me. So it’s cool. I’ve got tons of support out here. I get the energy from the people but I had to really lock in these last couple weeks and and seclude myself from everybody, you know, last minute ticket buyers and whatnot. So it’s fun. It’s high up here, the altitude, the elevation, and I’m used to it on the daily. So there’s the perks that I get out of this.”

    Donald Sanchez and the variable of high altitude familiarity here

    While we haven’t really seen gas tank issues with David Mundell per se, Sanchez’s familiarity with the heightened elevation of New Mexico can be a notable variable within this particular fight here. As he expounded upon those dynamics, Sanchez quipped,

    “Well we haven’t seen his gas tank because no one’s pressured him. No one’s put him on his feet except maybe like Julian Lane put him on his feet and gave him trouble. But once I’m able to go in there and put the pressure on him and and in the elevation, you know, you’re sucking in less oxygen out here and I really think he’s looking down on that. I don’t think he’s taking it seriously. So we’re about to find out.”

    When asked if he thinks ‘Redneck’ is overlooking the altitude component before preparing to defend his BKFC middleweight belt in the coming days, Donald Sanchez stated.

    “Well he keeps mentioning that. Pushing to our limits and and that’s all it’s about, you know. So huge credit goes to them but I also have a whole team of coaches and they push me daily. I have straight boxing coaches, I have a an older MMA coach, and it takes a good mixture of everything. So I have the right individuals around me pushing me.”

  • Donald Sanchez on Fighting BKFC’s Pound For Pound Number One Fighter For His Belt

    Donald Sanchez on Fighting BKFC’s Pound For Pound Number One Fighter For His Belt

    Donald Sanchez is obviously keen on the idea of winning a world title but it would be a truly great accolade to defeat the number one pound-for-pound fighter in BKFC. Sanchez appeared on Bare Knuckle Bowker ahead of his middleweight title bid against reigning champion David Mundell in the main event of BKFC 75 set for June 6th. When discussing if it was of particular significance to potentially gain a big win over the elite caliber bare knuckle boxer, Sanchez said,

    “Absolutely, you know. That’s cool and everything but that’s why we do this stuff. We want to fight the best. I don’t care about fighting the YouTubers and all that [ __ ]. So I’m here to fight the best and that’s what I want to do. I kept asking for it, asking for it, asking for it. Fighting, fighting, fighting, and finishing the fights and here we go, you know. I get to prove who I am, prove that I’m one of the best, prove that I am the best, and then in action, I get that belt as well. So I get to go fight the number one pound-for-pound guy in the world for his belt. So I mean what more can you ask for? That’s badass, you know.”

    Donald Sanchez and the fight IQ he brings to this BKFC 75 title bid

    Donald Sanchez has had this David Mundell fight on his radar for a while but there are no localized approaches he takes to gameplanning for certain fighters and he instead focuses on his personal refinement to be adaptable on fight night. When expounding upon this in greater detail, Sanchez stated,

    “I don’t personalize per fight. I personalize for myself. I get myself better. I have a very high IQ in that ring. So I can adapt to a situation and figure out what I need to do to win fights. So it’s not one specific style. I can go in there and do several different styles and showcase that. As you’ve seen, every single one of my opponents they’ve been a different style.”

    “I don’t know if you look back but that every single one of them is different and I’ve adapted to each and every one of them. So the closest that this style comes up to is my last fight, Harrison Aiken. I think that was a perfect style for me to go and test what I can do against this. I’ve always trained with that type of style we’ll just say. So I think I have the kryptonite for this.”