TAMPA, FLA. (October 8, 2019) – A jam-packed lineup of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) attractions will include Martina Krol and Calie Cutler going toe-to-toe in the BKFC women’s featherweight semi-final Saturday, October 19 live on pay-per-view from Florida State Fairgrounds Entertainment Hall in Tampa, Fla.
BKFC 8 is headlined by former UFC stars Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Gabriel Gonzaga going toe-to-toe and will be broadcast across the United States and Canada, exclusively on pay-per-view through MultiVision Media, Inc., on all major television distribution outlets for $29.99. It will also be available to BKFC’s international broadcast partners worldwide and via stream to all in-home and out-of-home connected devices through FITE.
The BKFC 8 co-main event will feature two BKFC veterans Jim Alersgo up against Julian Lane in a 155-pound fight.
Tickets for the live event are on sale exclusively at www.bareknuckle.tv. Florida will be hosting its’ second BKFC event of 2019, after previously holding the blockbuster BKFC 6 event headlined by Paulie Malignaggi vs. Artem Lobov in June.
Undercard action will also feature Puerto Rico’s Abdiel Velazquez, who owns a 2-1 BKFC record having most recently defeated Travis Thompson in June, in a 135-pound battle against West Virginia’s Rick Caruso. Featherweight professional boxerDat Nguyen will make his BKFC debut in a 135-pound fight against Missouri’s Matt Murphy and a 185-pound showdown will feature Nevada’s Joey Angelo and Florida’s Walber Barrios.
The lineup continues with Florida native Jared Warren in a 195-pound battle against Virginia’s Brian Maxwell, Florida’s Dave Mundell taking on Ronnie Forney in a 185-pound fight and an all-Florida 195-pound bout between Reggie Penaand Lorenzo Hunt. There’s no love lost between Pena and Hunt, as seen in this recent heated interview.
Rounding out the night is a 118-pound women’s showdown featuring Michigan’sSheena Starr and Florida’s Delaney Owen, Nevada’s Zach Jussola in a 165-pound fight against Oklahoma’s Fred Pierce and Cuba’s Gustavo Trujillo meetingRobert Morrow for a 210-pound bout.
“Queen of Bare Knuckle” Bec Rawlings Defeats Cecilia Flores by Unanimous Decision
Click HERE for Photos Credit: Lester Silva/Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship
CANCUN, MEXICO (February 3, 2019) – Leonard Garcia came back from an early knockdown to defeat Julian Lane by a second-round knockout in the main event of“BKFC 4: USA vs. Mexico” from Beto Avila Stadium in Cancun, Mexico and live on pay-per-view.
Lane knocked down Garcia midway through the first frame, but Garcia fought back mightily and dropped Lane twice to close out round one. Lane, looking like he never fully regained himself, was knocked down again multiple times in round two, with referee Dan Miragliotta stopping the contest 1:31 into the second stanza.
“You’ve got to put bullets in me to stop me,” said Garcia. “You’re not going to stop me with a punch.”
In the co-main event, the “Queen of Bare Knuckle” Bec Rawlings defended her Police Gazette Diamond Bare Knuckle Featherweight Title and dominated Cecilia Flores on her way to a unanimous decision (50-45, 48-47, 49-45).
“That was a really tough fight. I hit Cecilia really hard and she kept coming,” said Rawlings. “She put on an amazing fight. Thank you to everyone that came out. I always love to put on exciting fights, so I hope you guys were entertained.”
In pay-per-view undercard action, a highly anticipated rematch between Tony Lopezand Joey Beltran led to a split draw (49-46 for Lopez, 48-47 for Beltran, 48-48).
In a bout that saw solid exchanges and back and forth action, Chris Lytle defeatedJC Llamas by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 49-46).
Sam Shewmaker controlled the action against Jaime Arevalo to earn a split decision (49-48, 47-48, 49-45) victory.
Joe Riggs defeated Heriberto Tovar by unanimous decision (49-45, 50-46, 50-44). Riggs knocked down Tovar in round three en route to a wide decision.
Tom Shoaff overwhelmed Diego Garijo and won by fourth round TKO. Shoaff knocked down Garijo in round one, two more times in round three and landed a fourth knockdown in round four.
Alejandro Solorzano stopped Erik Leander :29 into the fourth round due to cut on Leander’s forehead.
Travis Thompson beat Ivan Rocka by stoppage 1:59 into round two. An overhand right from Thompson floored Rocka midway through round one. A jab from Thompson dropped Rocka again at the :30 mark of round one. Thompson struck a third knockdown in round two and Rocka never got off the canvas.
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About Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship On June 2, 2018, Philadelphia-based Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) made combat sports history when it promoted the first legal, sanctioned and regulated bare knuckle event in the United States since 1889. “BKFC 1: The Beginning” took place in Cheyenne, Wyoming and featured 10 professional bouts, all under the auspices and control of the Wyoming Combative Sports Commission. BKFC uses only established fighters who have previously competed professionally in boxing, MMA, kickboxing and/or Muay Thai. All BKFC bouts are sanctioned and regulated by ABC member athletic commissions. For more information visitwww.bareknuckle.tv or follow on Twitter at @BareKnuckleFC, on Instagram atwww.instagram.com/bareknucklefc and on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/bareknucklefc.
“BKFC 4: USA vs. Mexico” Features Tom Shoaff vs. Diego Garijo, Erik Leander vs. Alejandro Solorzano, Travis Thompson vs. Ivan Rocka & More!
PHILADELPHIA (January 24, 2019) – An exciting lineup of bare knuckle action is set to keep fans on the edge of their seats all night as Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) nears fight night in Cancun, Mexico on Saturday, February 2 live on pay-per-view (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Beto Avila Stadium.
The night will feature a stacked card full of USA vs. Mexico showdowns. This includes recently-added fights that will see Indiana’s Tom Shoaff take on Leon’s Diego Garijoin 165-pound action, Florida’s Erik Leander battling Mexicali’s Alejandro Solorzano in a heavyweight attraction, plus a 135-pound bout between Philadelphia’s Travis Thompson and Cancun’s Ivan Rocka.
Rounding out the evening is a 135-pound fight that pits Texas native Clay Burnsagainst Jesus Quevedo out of Playa Del Carmen, Rosarito’s Jose Ruleus in a 150-pound showdown against Mexico City’s Gilberto Aguliar and Phoenix’s Shannon Ritch against Tijuana’s Omar Molina in a 225-pound battle.
“BKFC 4: USA vs. Mexico” will be broadcast across the United States and Canada, exclusively on pay-per-view through MultiVision Media, Inc., on all major television and streaming distribution outlets for $29.95. It will also be available worldwide via streaming to all in-home and out-of-home connected devices.Tickets are available now at www.bareknuckle.tv.
The historic event will feature former Ultimate Fighter competitor Julian Lane battling Mexican-American UFC veteran Leonard Garcia,”Queen of Bare Knuckle” Bec Rawlings defending her title against Puerto Vallarta’s Cecilia Flores and a highly-anticipated rematch between Tony Lopez and Joey Beltran, who engaged in an epic showdown at BKFC 1 that was narrowly won by Beltran.
The action will also see 20-fight UFC veteran Chris Lytle facing MMA veteran JC Llamas, BKFC heavyweight tournament runner-up Sam Shewmaker returns to action to take on Chihuahua’s Ricardo Aguliar, plus former WEC Middleweight Champion and 12-fight UFC veteran Joe Riggs competes in his second BKFC attraction as he looks for another victory, this time against Mexico City’s Heriberto “El Rudo” Tovar, who has fought in Combate Americas, the largest Hispanic-based MMA organization in the sport.
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About Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship On June 2, 2018, Philadelphia-based Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) made combat sports history when it promoted the first legal, sanctioned and regulated bare knuckle event in the United States since 1889. “BKFC 1: The Beginning” took place in Cheyenne, Wyoming and featured 10 professional bouts, all under the auspices and control of the Wyoming Combative Sports Commission.
BKFC uses only established fighters who have previously competed professionally in boxing, MMA, kickboxing and/or Muay Thai. All BKFC bouts are sanctioned and regulated by ABC member Athletic Commissions.
Click HERE for Raw Highlight Footage from Their First BKFC Fight
PHILADELPHIA (January 22, 2019) – The clear “Fight of the Night” on the inauguralBare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) fight card “BKFC 1: The Beginning” in June 2018 was a matchup that had the combat sports world buzzing when Joey Beltran scored a decision victory over Tony Lopez in a bloody war. The longtime rivals will pick up where they left off and again face each other, this time on Saturday, February 2 as part of “BKFC 4: USA vs. Mexico” live on pay-per-view (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Beto Avila Stadium in Cancun, Mexico.
“Tony Lopez and Joey Beltran’s first fight at BKFC 1 was one of the most exciting fights I have ever witnessed and I have been at thousands of them,” said BKFC Founder and President David Feldman. “Sometimes rematches don’t live up to the first fight, but I feel that this one will be even better. I expect great exchanges, lots of action and blood!”
“BKFC 4: USA vs. Mexico” will be broadcast across the United States and Canada, exclusively on pay-per-view through MultiVision Media, Inc., on all major television and streaming distribution outlets for $29.95. It will also be available worldwide via streaming to all in-home and out-of-home connected devices.
By February 3, Beltran and Lopez will have fought each other twice in BKFC competition, but that only tells a fraction of the story of their rivalry. The fighters first faced each other in 2008 as part of “King of the Cage: Opposing Force” in a fight where Lopez forced Beltran into submission in the first round.
Lopez’s victory was his sixth consecutive MMA victory at the time, while Beltran had a four-fight winning streak snapped. After the fight, both men continued to rack up victories until their MMA rematch in 2009. Despite being dropped early in the fight, Lopez was able to recover and battle his way to a unanimous decision victory in a five-round contest.
While the two men would not square-off again for nearly a decade, they continued to have success in their respective MMA careers. Lopez fought more than 90 times in professional MMA, racking up an impressive 61 total wins, while Beltran would go on to be victorious in UFC and Bellator fights that he competed in through 2016.
Although their two battles had taken place some time ago, BKFC gave them a chance to once again show their skills, but also prove themselves in this rivalry. On June 2, 2018, Beltran was seeking revenge, while Lopez sought to make it three wins against his rival.
Beltran struck the first significant blow, putting Lopez on the ground with an overhand right at the end of the first round as blood began to pour down Lopez’s face. An extremely competitive and tense round two concluded with an ominous stare down.
In the third frame, Lopez began trying to enforce his will on the fight using his size and a powerful sweeping left hook. Beltran continued to work his counters, but accidentally poked Lopez in the eye just over one minute into the round. After Lopez was given time to recover, the action picked up with increased intensity, as the two men stayed close to one another throwing bombs from short range.
After a wild exchange led to a quick referee-ordered timeout to clean the blood off of Lopez, the final moments of the third round showcased a memorable flurry of big punches from massive men who had already spent a significant amount of time in the ring against each other.
More of the same was on display in round four with both men working through large amounts of blood streaming down their faces. The fifth round was another bloody, brutal stanza that saw powerful punches thrown all the way until the end. Although Lopez raised his hands after the final bell rang, it was Beltran who would finally earn a victory against his rival.
On February 2, 245 days after their fight at BKFC 1, Beltran will look to even the score against Lopez, while Lopez hopes to make it a 3-1 advantage and stake his claim as the superior fighter once and for all.
“I am prepared to come to Mexico and get a finish and end this rivalry,” said Beltran. “This is the fourth time I have met this man inside of a ring. Each time has resulted in intense violence and entertainment. I expect the same from our encounter at BKFC 4. I am prepared to come to Mexico, get a win and end this rivalry once and for all.”
“A rematch is a second chance to fix my mistake in our last fight and give my fans in Mexico a chance to see the action up close,” said Lopez. “I’m going to show the world I belong here in BKFC!”
BKFC 4 will also feature former Ultimate Fighter competitor Julian Lane battling Mexican-American UFC veteran Leonard Garcia,”Queen of Bare Knuckle” Bec Rawlings defending her title against Puerto Vallarta’s Cecilia Flores, 20-fight UFC veteran Chris Lytle facing MMA veteran JC Llamas, BKFC heavyweight tournament runner-up Sam Shewmaker returning to action to take on Tijuana’s Joel Paredes and former WEC Middleweight Champion and 12-fight UFC veteran Joe Riggs competing in his second BKFC attraction as he faces Mexico City’s Heriberto “El Rudo” Tovar.
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About Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship On June 2, 2018, Philadelphia-based Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) made combat sports history when it promoted the first legal, sanctioned and regulated bare knuckle event in the United States since 1889. “BKFC 1: The Beginning” took place in Cheyenne, Wyoming and featured 10 professional bouts, all under the auspices and control of the Wyoming Combative Sports Commission.
BKFC uses only established fighters who have previously competed professionally in boxing, MMA, kickboxing and/or Muay Thai. All BKFC bouts are sanctioned and regulated by ABC member Athletic Commissions.
