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Sam Shewmaker decimated Eric Prindle in less than twenty seconds at BKFC 1. This popular highlight took place on June 2nd, 2018 and we’re now approaching the five-year anniversary of that inaugural event for the company.

Shewmaker spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before this landmark checkpoint in the sport. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Sam Shewmaker

What were your thoughts on getting a bare-knuckle boxing offer in Summer 2018 when the sport had been dormant domestically for over a century prior?

“You know I was super excited. I initially got involved with bare-knuckle because I went to one of the tryouts there in Philly. The actual first ones that they had and I ended up making enough of an impression where they wanted to put me on the first show. So just super excited about it. You know just, had never done it legally before (laughs).”

Sam Shewmaker continued, “I had some amateur fights and then some professional boxing matches. So I was excited to jump on the old but yet new bare-knuckle fighting. So it was an honor to be invited and just super stoked whenever I got the invite.”

Sam Shewmaker vs Eric Prindle

What was the sensation like landing that emphatic KO that has become such a widely replayed moment in the history of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship?

“I’ve hit quite a few people bare handed so I knew the feeling. But as far as like doing it like that on that big a stage. In front of the cameras and the lights and everything. Some of the big-time names that were ringside watching. Of course, all of the people in the world watching on TV and for years later on the internet, it was just awesome. It was like hitting a home run. It really was.”

Sam Shewmaker continued, “It was a great feeling and my uncle and brothers and a bunch of my friends, we all went out there. They made the long trip from where we’re at to go and watch. So it was quite a feeling for us. Getting that win and in that type of fashion too. That’s what you want to see. When people watch the heavyweights fight, they want to watch that big knockout and you know, that’s what we got. So it was awesome.”

BKFC 1

How aware were you of Prindle’s profile before this prize-fight and is it difficult to game plan for something like this being that it’s such a different combat sport than what both of you had previously done?

“Yeah, for sure. You know, he is a well-known fighter. A real big veteran in combat sports. He had a really big amateur background. A very successful one then of course he won one of the tournaments there in Bellator as well as a heavyweight. Just he had a lot of film and stuff out there on him. So we were able to study up on him and see what kind of fighter he was.”

Sam Shewmaker continued, “Big, powerful guy. Big strong guy; he looks like a gladiator from back in the day. So yeah, we were very aware of what he was, who he was, and what he could do. So we feel like we kind of had a little bit of an advantage there. Just because there wasn’t much on me out there. So he didn’t get a lot to study as far as that.”

What were the feelings like pulling up to the arena on fight day and what was the general atmosphere like backstage?

“Definitely very unique being able to be a part of such a big event. The inaugural, first event, it was televised. So first time I had been on a live televised event. So just super excited and just yeah, almost like it was a dream. A dream come true, you know, all that hard work and all the years of preparation. Not knowing what my journey was going to entail. To be invited and be a part of something like that was definitely a dream come true.”

Photo credit: BKFC 1 Tapology page

BKFC

Parting thoughts for Sam Shewmaker

“Just want to thank my wife, my kids, and my family. All my training partners and coaches, without them I wouldn’t have been able to go do what I did. There was many sacrifices. Not just on my part but on theirs. All the hard work and tireless hours that we put into the training and the preparation to get there and the sacrifices.”

“So just a big shout-out to all of them and the fans, without them we wouldn’t be where we are today. Just thank all of them very much with all my heart and I love you guys. So, appreciate your time, Dylan.

The post Sam Shewmaker: BKFC 1 Five-Year Anniversary Retrospective appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Tony Lopez and Joey Beltran engaged in a high-octane clash that reignited the bare-knuckle boxing scene in America at BKFC 1. Beltran emerged victorious on June 2nd, 2018 via unanimous decision but everyone came out of that with tremendous momentum.

Lopez spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News ahead of the five-year anniversary of the inaugural BKFC event. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Tony Lopez

You had a tremendous amount of MMA fights before BKFC 1. What were your thoughts on getting a bare-knuckle boxing offer in the summer of 2018 after the sport being dormant domestically for over a century?

“Oh, man, you know what? When I first heard about it, I was like you know what, this is something I could get into. To me, I’m always like with MMA I figure, I’m like you know what this is like a street fight. You can go on the ground, standing, whatever, you’ve just got to be ready. So when bare-knuckle came about, I saw that as, you know what, being even more like the streets. You know, you get hit and you feel it. You know, how is that going to be? So I loved it when I heard it coming.”

BKFC

Tony Lopez continued, “That was a big thing too. The first one in like you said over a hundred years to be held here. It’s always great to be in the beginning when something starts. It’s like oh hey, you’re part of that, the start of it. So it was, for me, I felt privileged to be able to be on the first one ever here in the United States and make a big show out of it.”

Tony Lopez vs Joey Beltran

Photo credit: Esther Lin/ MMA Fighting

Tony Lopez vs Joey Beltran I

Your first bare-knuckle bout with Joey Beltran really reignited the sport and seemed to be the first widely shared BKFC fight social media-wise. What are your main memories and takeaways from that classic fight?

“Well, I mean for me, it’s usually ninety percent of the time it’s about the show. If I can get the fans to get into the fight and, you know, start cheering, whether they’re booing me or cheering me, as long as they’re standing. Just for me to see all the fans get into it, it makes me feel cool. You know, I guess this is what they want to see. So to hear they like what you put out there, the more people get into it, the more the cheers and excitement is. I mean that’s what it was, it was a great fight.”

BKFC 1

This BKFC 1 fight has been compared to Bonnar vs Griffin I in terms of an exciting fight that served as a catalyst for the upward trajectory of a sport. What does that first bare-knuckle Beltran fight mean to your deep combat sports career and the sport of bare-knuckle boxing by proxy?

“Well yeah, you know, I mean that’s a fight that everybody remembers. Because yeah, it was the first one and it was an exciting fight. Everybody got into it; and I mean, I think that helped set the standard for what you’re supposed to do when you get in there. What the fans expect to see and how you should perform. There’s been so many fights after that that have emulated that. Where you know it’s bloody and gory.”

“They’re just going at it like two animals (laughs) to see which one is left standing. I mean it’s just, it’s awesome – the feeling of that fight and then just watching everybody and watching the sport expand, the organization grow. That was my first thing, like you said, I was thinking that it’s going to be a one-and-done. We’ll see how it goes; but yeah, now it’s a runaway train.”

Photo credit: BKFC 1 Tapology page

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

The residual effects on the scene since that historic throwdown with Beltran are evident. Can you speak on where the sport is at in the present day as compared to that night in Summer 2018?

“Oh well, you know what I mean, I just see it’s like the UFC. When the UFC first started out, they were only allowed in so many states and they only had a limited audience. Look where they’re at now. I see Bare Knuckle doing the same thing. Just climbing and exploding.”

The post Tony Lopez: BKFC 1 Five-Year Anniversary Retrospective appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Joey Beltran and Tony Lopez fought in an all-time classic bare-knuckle boxing bout at BKFC 1. This event transpired close to five years ago (June 2nd, 2018), and the former emerged victorious over the latter via unanimous decision.

Beltran spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News heading into this important anniversary event for the promotion’s inaugural card. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Joey Beltran

What were your first thoughts when a bare-knuckle boxing offer came your way in mid-2018?

“Well, I mean, I had already been knowledgeable of the sport of bare-knuckle boxing. I was a fan of it like watching on the internet. Even like the old Irish traveler videos with the families, like the Joyces and stuff like that. So, I was a fan of that and ‘Gypsy Boy’ Jim McCrory – Jimmy McCrory. I had known about it and I was actually interested in it already. So, when the opportunity came up I was like oh, that sounds fun (laughs).”

Joey Beltran vs Tony Lopez I

Did you feel like you were part of something historically significant since bare-knuckle boxing had been dormant domestically for over a century prior to BKFC 1?

“Yes and no. I mean because it’s like at the end of the day, I really didn’t have much time to give too much thought about the historical significance. I had to get in a bare-knuckle fight with Tony Lopez and I knew that was going to be crazy. So you know, I had to first and foremost focus on that.”

“But after the fact, and especially recently looking back on what the significance was to the sport and where I stand personally like historically, it’s pretty cool you know. But in the actual moment like the actual night per se, you know, I was focused on the physical fight (laughs).”

BKFC

What are your recollections of the first Lopez fight which became an all-time classic bout that reignited the modern era of the sport?

“Well, I mean it’s like – it’s up for argument and debate, you know. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion as far as what the most significant fight was in BKFC. A lot of people say that one; a lot of people say the Artem Lobov and Jason Knight fight, which was a great fight, don’t get me wrong. But I always say like hey, man, if me and Tony didn’t come out and set the house on fire that night, there might not have been an Artem Lobov-Jason Knight fight. Because that first show was kind of weird you know.”

“It had that big knockout with Sam Shewmaker which was kind of cool but kind of lame at the same time, it’s weird (laughs). Then it had like Bec’s (Rawlings) fight was kind of good but it was kind of one-sided. It was real kind of like almost hot and cold, if you will – the mood in the arena when we walked out. Then we walked out and we just started getting it on (laughs).”

“Blood started flying and by the third round, the whole place was on fire. The atmosphere was just electric, like you could feel it in the ring and that’s what set up everything. It’s crazy like how that launch padded the whole game and the whole sport and everything from that one night. Then the organization caught its rhythm and we haven’t looked back ever since.”

Photo credit: BKFC 1 Tapology page

BKFC 1

BKFC picked up steam thereafter, and many at the time seemed to wonder, pre-event, if this was just a one-off, curiosity event, or could it be sustainable long term. Can you speak to the fallout from that fight and the ripple effect it helped send?

“It was pretty fun doing the actual fight (laughs). Then afterward it was like yeah, I remember Bobby Gunn coming up to me and grabbing my hands. He was like bless these hands, you have no idea what you did for us. I was like oh, thank you (laughs). That’s pretty cool. Yeah, man, so it was really cool. I mean shoutout to Tony Lopez. You have to have a willing dance partner obviously to fight that kind of fight. So it was really definitely surreal to be a part of.”

“The crazy part is that we were the swing bout. We weren’t even in the actual tournament. We were the alternate bout in case somebody got injured or whatever, you know what I mean? Then we would slide into the tournament. So that being said, that even adds more elements to the story. Because imagine if our fight didn’t get on the TV broadcast? That’s crazy but we did. So it all worked out the way it was supposed to.”

The post Joey Beltran: BKFC 1 Five-Year Anniversary Retrospective appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

 BKFC 43 transpired from the Liberty First Credit Union Arena in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19th. The fistic fireworks went down on Fite TV and the BKFC App.

The BKFC 43 Main Event was a riveting affair with both men coming in undefeated with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. Houston Alexander was the partisan favorite and improved to 4-0 as a bare-knuckle boxer. The former UFC veteran showcased a varied attack against Jeremy Smith in the first couple of rounds.

Alexander had to fend off a huge attack in the second half of the bout to earn the unanimous decision win. Smith is now 3-1 overall in BKFC after an admirable effort.

BKFC 43

The BKFC 43 co-main event featured another local favorite in Dakota Cochrane. He generated a blistering highlight via a first-round, one-punch KO over Noah Cutter in a middleweight matchup. The sub-one-minute KO is the fastest finish of Cochrane’s lengthy, multi-promotion bare-knuckle boxing run.

Dakota Cochrane is now 5-2 with three KOs while Cutter is now 3-6. Cochrane wants to make a run for BKFC middleweight gold and is now riding back-to-back wins at 175 pounds.

Former UFC warrior Jimmie Rivera earned his first BKFC win in the night’s feature fight. He defeated the debuting Bekhzod Usmonov in a featherweight bout. Rivera climbed to 1-0-1 in his sophomore bare-knuckle effort.

Sean Wilson put together a thorough points win over Brandon Meyer. Following the lightweight battle, Wilson improves to 3-1, while Meyer goes .500 in the company (1-1).

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

Alonzo Martinez emphatically improved to 3-0 in the squared circle by defeating the now 1-1 Jeremy Sauceda. ‘AAA’ did so via TKO (corner stoppage) at the end of the fourth frame of the light-heavyweight bout.

Carlos Trinidad-Snake was previously unranked and now earned one of the biggest wins possible at 165 pounds. He secured a unanimous decision victory over former division champ Elvin “El Bandido” Brito. Brito entered fight night as the No. 1 contender in the stacked BKFC welterweight division. Trinidad-Snake is now a spotless 4-0, while Brito falls to 5-4.

Surging cruiserweight prospect Ryan Braun stopped debutant Andrew Potter via a sub-twenty-second knockout. Braun is now 2-0 with a pair of first-round stoppages.

Jade Masson-Wong climbed to 2-1 under the BKFC banner. The previously unranked 125er garnered a UD victory over a former BKFC Flyweight title contender. Taylor Starling came into the ring as BKFC’s number two flyweight and rallied back to go the distance after being meaningfully dropped in the bout.

BKFC

Jeff Souder opened the BKFC 43 main card with a thorough UD win. He bested Idrees “Grumpy Bear” Wasi in their cruiserweight matchup. The former University linebacker is now 2-1 in BKFC as Wasi falls to 1-2.

In an anomalous ending, Tommy Strydom (now 2-0) knocked out Josh Krejci (now 1-1) with a shoulder strike. The featherweight bout ended in the second stanza a bit over the minute and a half mark.

Esteban Rodriguez notched multiple knockdowns of Jaquis Williams three times before the eventual TKO finish in less than a minute and a half. ‘Mohawk’ climbed to 2-0 with two finishes as Williams fell to 0-1.

In the curtain-jerker of the night, debutant Corey Roberts defeated former instructor/ MMA opponent, TJ Benson (now 0-3 in BKFC). The knockout materialized less than a minute into the second stanza of this clash between 145-pounders.

The post BKFC 43: Alexander Wins War, Cochrane KO appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Aaron McCallum contends for Scott McHugh’s British title at BKB 32 on May 21st in London, England.

McCallum looks to put together back-to-back victories here and collect a belt following his decision win over John Collier at BKB 29 last December.

The fistic fireworks broadcast on Fite TV as ‘The Baron’ looks to cement himself as a titleholder as he enters the ring for his seventh bare-knuckle boxing bout.

McCallum spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before this title bid. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Aaron McCallum

When did this bout offer initially come your way and when were you made privy to this title bout?

“Well after me last fight, I left it a couple of weeks and I messaged Jim (Freeman; BKB figurehead). I just put what are the chances of this underdog getting a title shot? Still didn’t really expect one so quick. But when he offered me Scott McHugh, I just were absolutely buzzing with it. Literally, I just got up out of the bed the next day early. Ready to start training and getting on it. Yeah, I was proper buzzing for it, yeah.”

Aaron McCallum vs Scott McHugh

What are your thoughts on some of the stylistic attributes and the overall bare-knuckle boxing resume of Scott McHugh heading into this bid for his belt?

“Well, the only thing that was sort of most probably worrying me about the fight was his fitness. I mean anything else I’ve seen his fights and stuff like that. He fights sort of similar to me with his head movement and stuff like that. Plays with a bit of a low center of gravity and whatnot. His style doesn’t really bother me that much.”

“Every other fight the way I look at it yeah he’s fought Sean George and (Carlos) Guerra, and I think he’s fought (Martin) Reffell, and obviously Desmond Green. But he hasn’t fought me yet, you know what I mean? I’ll bring a different thing to that ring. I won’t be fighting like any of those fighters. So yeah, the only thing that was sort of bothering me was his ring fitness because he’s been doing it so long. But I feel that fit now, that that’s gone out the window and it don’t bother me one bit.”

Aaron McCallum continued, “I’m ready to go the five rounds with him and he is as well. I’ve got no problems with the round fitness like I did at the start of the camp. He’s fighting me at the end of the day, he’s not fighting them. So I don’t really like to look into it as much as that. Obviously, I’ll still watch. I still go over his previous fights just to get his style in my head as such. But again, once he’s fighting me his style will change a bit as you’d imagine anyway. So it’s hard to really go on all of that.”

BKB 32

Being the only bare-knuckle boxer out of Nottingham, England must fill you with a great sense of pride. Can you speak to that?

“It’s still unbelievable to be fair. Like just today for instance, I’ve been training up kids in the schools with Curtis. I do, I help him a lot. So I don’t know what you call it over the pond over there but we call them year six. It’s like the last year of their junior school. So we’re training all of them and just having them on your side and stuff like that. Them knowing what you’re doing and stuff, yeah, it’s just so overwhelming. It’s unbelievable, mate.”

Parting thoughts for Aaron McCallum

“Just all the best to Scott and his family and whatnot. Obviously, there’s no grudge between us. We’re doing what we’re doing on the night, put on a show for the fans. I’m there to take the belt, he’s in me way. But yeah, good luck to him. Thanks to everybody for buying tickets and showing the support and all that. Thank you Dylan for having me; talking to me. That’s a proper priviledge in of itself.”

The post Aaron McCallum Brings “A Different Thing to That Ring” Against Scott McHugh at BKB 32 appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Dakota Cochrane tests skills with Noah Cutter at BKFC 43: Alexander vs. Smith on May 19th in the Co-Main Event. He returned to the win column last time out and looks to notch back-to-back wins as he steps inside the squared circle after his last victory at BKFC 33.

The fistic fireworks broadcast on the Bare Knuckle TV app as well as Fite TV and the pugilistic proceedings go down in Omaha, Nebraska at 9 PM EST.

Cochrane spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before the headlining clash. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Dakota Cochrane

This looks like your fourth BKFC fight in a row within your hometown Omaha, Nebraska. How much does that galvanize your already strong resolve and motivation?

“No, it’s great to have fights at home. It’s always good, I have a lot of support. So that makes the fights really exciting when you’ve got a bunch of people yelling DC and cheering for you. So yeah, it’s very special fighting at home but always added pressure too.”

You have fought at higher weights earlier on in bare-knuckle boxing, but now seems like you’re settling into embarking on a run towards the BKFC middleweight title. Are you looking to stay active this year solely at 175 pounds to facilitate that?

“Yeah, that’s where I should be for my height and my, I guess, lean mass. That’s definitely where I should be. You know, I’m just kind of a guy who will take a fight any time, any place, or anyone. So when they ask you to fight at a certain weight, it may not be my preferred weight. But I’m always up for a challenge. Sometimes that’s taken me to different weight classes, so (laughs). But yeah, I definitely should be 175.”

“Yeah, I definitely would like to have a good run this year. So hopefully I can get some more fights outside of Omaha because that’s pretty much the only way I’m going to be as active as I probably need to be.”

BKFC

What were your main takeaways from the last win by way of a fifth-round finish over Eduardo Peralta at BKFC 33 in November last year?

“I thought it was an ok performance. Was a little timid. I think that was my main concern and look, after reviewing the fight, just I think I was a little more timid. Then when my coaches said hey, you have to win this round in the fifth round. That’s when I got that next level of I guess, I don’t know, confidence. I had to push the pace a lot and then it ended up going my way. So I probably should have done that a lot sooner.”

Photo credit to Phil Lambert/ BKFC

Dakota Cochrane vs Noah Cutter

What are your thoughts on the resume and stylistic attributes of Noah Cutter heading into this bout?

“Yeah, I mean as far as resume he has a lot of fights. He’s very tough and he’s not going to quit. So that’s important. That makes a bare-knuckle fight more difficult in itself. So, I’m a lot different than a lot of those guys. I hit very hard. So he’s going to have to face someone who hits very hard and we’ll see how he deals with that (laughs).

BKFC 43

Cutter has a one hundred percent finishing rate across his bare-knuckle wins and Cochrane has a seventy-five percent finishing rate with all but one BKFC fight ending inside the distance. Do you foresee a finish materializing here just considering the track records you both have?

“Yeah, I would definitely think so. My goal every time I go out there is try to finish the fight. No matter if it’s MMA or bare-knuckle. I don’t want to be in there very long. I want to be in there as short an amount of time as possible. Then your pay per minute goes up (laughs).”

Parting thoughts for Dakota Cochrane

“No, I appreciate you taking the time too. Yeah, it’s always great to get to know you guys. I appreciate you taking the time and I’m excited for this fight. It’ll be a damn good fight. let’s plan on having a finish before the five rounds. That should be definitely the goal.”

The post Dakota Cochrane: “Plan on Having a Finish” Over Noah Cutter at BKFC 43 appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Jimmy Sweeney tests skills against Kevin McCauley at BKB 32 on May 21st and it emanates from Indigo at The O2 Arena in London, England.

The fistic fireworks broadcast on Fite TV as ‘The King’ looks to reassert to the bare-knuckle boxing world, that he is among the very best that the sport has ever seen.

Sweeney spoke with Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before this contest. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Jimmy Sweeney

You were initially supposed to fight Jonny Tello and are now clashing with Kevin McCauley. What was the timeline like leading into this replacement opponent?

“Yeah, unfortunately for Jonny he’s got a neck injury. So it wasn’t until about a week ago that we’ve heard that he pulled out. Which is very; that wasn’t great, to be fair, on myself. Because I’ve trained this camp for Jonny, for his style. So now I’m in with a different lad that I don’t have a clue what his style is like. I haven’t watched him, so. But we’re fighters. We adapt to it and carry on.”

BKB

You’re entering the ring for your 33rd bare-knuckle boxing bout here and seem to be talking about embarking on a noteworthy run toward retiring later this year. What does your most idealistic timeline look like in that regard?

“Do you know what it is? So I’m fighting on May 21st and obviously because Jonny’s pulled out of the fight, that would have been a big fight. I was going to look to come back for a world title maybe in November. But with Jonny pulling out and I’m fighting this other kid, I can’t remember his name. Kevin McCauley or something like that, on May 21st. I’m a very, very confident fighter. I believe I’m going to get that job done fairly early.”

“So I’ve already spoke to Jim Freeman the owner and I want to get back out July 29th. I want to be going for another world title. The world title I want because (James) Connelly has it. He’s a great friend of mine but I want the 79-kilo world title, the featherweight. But I believe the welterweight world title is vacant. I believe Marley Churcher is the British champion of that. So if I can’t get the 79-kilo world title fight, July I’ll be pushing for the welterweight one probably against Marley Churcher or something like that.”

Jimmy Sweeney continued, “Then hopefully I’ll be ending the year then with a world title shot at 79 kilos. So I’m looking forward to these next few months in my BKB career. As everyone knows now, I’ve opened up a cafe with my partner. So my private life is going to be busy and so is my BKB life for the next six months.”

BKB 32

How do you plan to bolster your unparalleled legacy (middleweight, lightweight, and featherweight BKB gold) in this sport even further through the remainder of 2023?

“Yeah, I’ve often fought earlier in my career at the higher weights. Obviously, the level of opponents wouldn’t of been the same as it is today. But I’ve been up there and it’s something that I’ve always said I was going to do as well. Just to go back up the weights and just add another world title. Not just a world title but another weight world title. I’m a five-time world champion at three different weights. So I want to be six and four and finish on seven and four at the end of the year. “

Jimmy Sweeney continued, “Yeah, it says a lot for my resume then after if I get that done. Six-time world champion at four different weights, it hasn’t been done before. I’ve done the three, Barrie’s (Jones) done the three. So I’m hoping to go for the fourth. Which is mad to think of ever being done. But I believe I’m good enough to get it done.”

Jimmy Sweeney vs Kevin McCauley

Your plan with Jonny Tello was to finish him in three or four rounds. Is that still the plan with Kevin McCauley?

“Yeah well see with the Tello fight, obviously Jonny’s gone the full fight, full seven rounds with Barrie (Jones). So I just wanted to come in and just take him out in three or four rounds. Just to show people that I’m still there, you know what I mean? I’m still a dangerous guy in the sport. But unfortunately, Jonny’s not there so this other guy; my mindframe is still the same. It’s still to put on a devastating display and send a message out to everyone. That I’m back, I’m dangerous, and I’m coming for titles.”

Parting thoughts for Jimmy Sweeney

“Oh no, it’s been great that you’ve reached out and obviously the more exposure we get as fighters, the better. Especially with yourself calling from overseas. So it’s great that you took the time out to do the interview. So I really appreciate that.”

The post Jimmy Sweeney on BKB 32 and Aim to Be Seven-Time, Four-Weight Champ in 2023 appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Jeremy Smith and Houston Alexander battle in the BKFC 43 main event in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19th.

‘Pitbull’ looks to notch his fourth consecutive win under the BKFC banner and enters the ring for his first fight of the calendar year.

The fistic fireworks broadcast on the Bare Knuckle TV app as well as Fite TV and the pugilistic proceedings go down at 9 PM EST.

Smith spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before this top-of-the-marquee match. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Jeremy Smith

What were your thoughts when this bout offer came your way against the former UFC veteran and undefeated BKFC combatant, Houston Alexander?

“Well, Houston Alexander is obviously a legend in MMA and fighting in UFC. He’s fought Kimbo Slice, he’s fought a lot of the big names in the UFC. It was a huge opportunity to get it. I was happy with it. I was like you know what, this is a nice big step up. It’s the headliner of a card. It’s what my career needs to push it further. So yeah, I seized the opportunity with both hands. I said yeah, let’s do it. Whenever you want, I’m ready.”

Jeremy Smith vs Houston Alexander

Why do you feel bare-knuckle boxing is such a perfect fit for you?

“Obviously growing up in South Africa, it’s a different type of culture growing up. We do a lot more I guess you could say street fights or whatever. People have more fights back home. It’s generally a thing, we’re just a more aggressive people.”

“Like we play Rugby, this and that, people jump at the ball and have a punch up. It’s a normal thing there (laughs). Obviously, like I got into MMA and did the K1. But I found my home with bare-knuckle, with BKFC. It just seems like it’s a great fit for me and I’m a great fit for the organization.”

BKFC 43

You’ve represented where you come from quite well during your time as the EFC Worldwide middleweight champion during our mixed martial arts tenure. Does it bring you great pride to be able to represent South Africa in another combat sport?

“Oh yeah, it’s great. Also, I’d love to get a show back on in South Africa. It would do amazing there. Like I said, everybody loves combat sports back home…. I’ve got a lot of fighters who do MMA now. They’re still doing MMA but they would love to do this. They also kind of love fighting (laughs). Obviously professional fighting.”

Jeremy Smith continued, “So yeah, I think it would do really well in South Africa. It would be a massive viewership to get. Yeah, if you want to get into Africa, South Africa is the main way to go infrastructure-wise.”

BKFC

What do you think about the localized bare-knuckle stylistic attributes of Houston Alexander as well as the run Alexander has had so far in BKFC?

“Well, he’s 3-0, three knockouts. So everybody knows Houston Alexander is a big puncher. That man hits. You can say whatever you want, you know, he’s a little bit older. Once you’re older, your power never goes. With age, that’s the last thing that never goes. I have some friends back home also a little bit older than him even and if they hit you, you’re going to go to sleep.”

“So I’ve got to be cautious of that power. I’ve got to look after it. Like you don’t want to get caught with that big right hand of his…. So he’s going to bring it and I know he’s coming to fight. He’s a warrior, an athlete, a fighter just like me.”

Photo credit to @power1069 on Twitter

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

Is the motivation going forward to eventually capture another reputable title in another combat sport as you keep carving out this path in BKFC?

“Obviously like my goal is going to be the title. Obviously, my goal is a title. I’ve not just come up to have fights. I want to become a champion and I think every fighter who ever enters a fight’s goal should be becoming a champion. So that’s where my focus is. So yeah, I know he’s a stepping stone. He’s one of the stepping stones in the way for me to get to the belt. So right now, my full focus is on him then after that, we focus on the next one.”

The post Jeremy Smith on Houston Alexander: “One of the Stepping Stones in the Way for Me to Get to the Belt” appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Houston Alexander and Jeremy Smith clash in the BKFC 43 main event in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19th.

‘The Assassin’ looks to go 4-0 in the BKFC circle here after notching a big statement win at BKFC 33 in November.

The fistic fireworks broadcast on the Bare Knuckle TV app as well as Fite TV and the pugilistic proceedings go down at 9 PM EST.

Alexander spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before the headlining clash. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Houston Alexander

What are your feelings about readying to compete in another hometown BKFC main event with this Omaha, Nebraska card?

“I don’t know. If I was a betting man, I’d think the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship was kind of trying to use me to build their company in the Midwest through Nebraska through me (laughs). But no, it’s actually pretty cool that we’re fighting back in Nebraska because for a long time in my career, we had a lot of people asking to see me fight live. Usually, it would be either out of town or overseas. So it’s great to be, to me now while having fun doing this, doing it in front of the hometown.”

Houston Alexander vs Jeremy Smith

What were the main takeaways from finishing former BKFC heavyweight champion Joey Beltran in the second stanza during your last outing and was there a redemptive element to this since Beltran previously beat you in MMA?

“The main takeaway is I believe from coaches. I think it’s jab, jab, jab, jab (laughs). A lot of times with this type of fighting, you’ve got to stick to your basics. You’ve got to make sure you stay sound and fundamental. So I keep hearing from the coaching staff is jab, jab, jab (laughs)… I think it’s a clean slate, different sport scenario because at that point with MMA, a lot of people were already scared of my striking anyway.”

Houston Alexander continued, “Striking/ boxing, they were already scared of that. So that’s why they would always challenge me to take me down. So I don’t think it was any type of redemption thing, you know. To me, it was just another fight. I don’t think I get my kicks off of oh man, I just beat this guy that previously beat me. Nah, you can’t look at it that way because change is inevitable and that person might not be the same person you fought years ago. So I think with me, you know, it was just business as usual.”

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

What are your thoughts on now being number two ranked at cruiserweight as you ready to fight the number three ranked contender within the BKFC?

“Hey, I’m just finding out through you. I’m ranked second somewhere?… (laughs) Well you know what, through you I just found that out. I don’t pay attention to stuff like that, man. I just go out and fight.”

The bulk of the bare knuckle boxing bouts yourself and Smith have had ended inside the distance. Do you think it would be a fair inference to make that this fight will not be determined by the ringside judges?

“(laughs) You know, Jeremy (Smith), he’s a good athlete man. So anybody and I said this before as well, anybody that gets in any type of squared circle, round circle, any type of circle, rectangle circle, you’ve got to be some type of athlete, man. So you’ve got to expect the unexpected with anybody. That’s what I do. I expect the unexpected with anybody, man. I don’t take anybody for granted.”

BKFC 43

How important is it for you to uplift people in your personal life while also putting down people in your professional endeavors in the ring?

“Well, you know what and I think a lot of people can agree with this statement, next man up or next woman up. The next man or woman up and that’s always been my mentality. To uplift the next man or woman in any situation… I do not want to uplift Jeremy (laughs). No, no, no, Jeremy (Smith). Unfortunately, I don’t want to uplift you, buddy. I want to put you down (laughs). Oh, man, we do not want to uplift Jeremy in this fight (laughs). That was a good one (laughs).”

The post Houston Alexander on Jeremy Smith: “I Don’t Want to Uplift You” at BKFC 43 appeared first on Bare Knuckle News.

Jordan Mitchell and Rashad Coulter clash at BYB 17: Brawl at Rock Hill on May 13th. This contest transpires at Rock Hill Sports & Event Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Mitchell looks to rebound from falling short to Tony Lopez in the first-ever BYB Extreme heavyweight title fight at BYB X: Biloxi Brawl.

The pugilistic proceedings broadcast on combatcast.tv/byb and the show will kick-off at 7 PM EST.

Mitchell spoke with Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before this contest. Excerpts from the chat are below.

Jordan Mitchell

This return at BYB 17 marks just shy of one year away from competing in the sport of bare-knuckle boxing. How does it feel to be returning to BYB Extreme for this fight?

“Man it feels good because I mean, I’ve been trying to come back for a while now. I needed to redeem myself because I don’t like how the last fight ended. So you know it feels real good to be back and get to show what I can really do in the Mighty Trigon.”

BYB Extreme

Was there something you specifically wanted to redeem from your last bare-knuckle boxing bout at BYB 10 last May?

“Yeah, man, because a lot of people like they gave up on me. I feel like a lot of people did give up on me because I mean, everybody was talking about me before and now everybody just forgot. Like I said, everybody forgot about me. With the Tony (Lopez) fight I mean, a lot of people didn’t give me; how should I explain it? Some people talked bad about me. They really didn’t know what happened in there. I mean my nose got broke. That first punch he hit me with, it broke my nose.”

Jordan Mitchell continued, “I couldn’t breathe the whole fight. So you know it’s just; everybody keep saying oh, he’s out of shape. He don’t want to take this serious. I’ve been taking it serious. I did fight with a lot of emotion, I would take that back. But I was ready to go, you know what I’m saying? I feel like I was in shape for a good four or five rounds I could have went. But after my nose got broke, I couldn’t adapt to it. I just gave up. So I really just need to get back in there and show everybody what I’m really made of.”

Jordan Mitchell vs Rashad Coulter

Could this Coulter fight serve to get you back into those title contender conversations?

“Yeah, of course. I hope it puts me back in line for a title shot. I mean he’s fought in the UFC, his name is out there. So with a convincing win, I hope I do get (DJ) Linderman next. But if I don’t get Linderman next, I got my eye on somebody. So I’m not going to say it yet until after I win. But then after that, I want to at least win the heavyweight title. Then go drop down to cruiserweight, then drop down one more, and get three belts. So that’s my goal.”

BYB 17

You were in one of the first BYB Extreme fights that Coulter ever saw. He gave credit to your heart and finishing ability but respectfully, feels he is the better fighter and has the bigger heart. What are your thoughts on that characterization from him?

“I mean I’ve been in the game longer than him. I’ve got more experience. If he’s going by saying he got more heart than me by just that one fight then he ain’t seen me fight. So I mean, it’s nothing. People got opinions, they can say whatever they want. I respect him. Like I said he’s been in the UFC. I’ve got nothing but respect for him. So we’re going to find out who got more heart and who’s the more experienced I should say.”

Photo credit to @bybextreme on Instagram

BYB 17: Brawl at Rock Hill

What do you think about some of Coulter’s stylistic attributes and overall resume?

“He got some fight in him. I watched him when he fought that big dude. Obviously, he can take punishment. He throws fast for his weight, for his size. So that’s what I paid attention to. So it’s going to be interesting because like I said, I’m real fast and everybody knows I bring the power.”

Jordan Mitchell continued, “So really, it’s divided, it’s the same. But it’s just who gonna land first. That’s what it’s going to come down to and who gonna be able to take it and keep going? So like I said, we’re just gonna find out what it is. But like I said, we the same to me, in my eyes.”

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